Tamworth and Peel Valley residents will soon be able to have their say on the New Dungowan Dam and Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement which will go on display by the end of October.
Minister for Lands and Water and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said this signifies the NSW Government is getting on with the job of building the New Dungowan Dam and called on the Commonwealth to reaffirm its funding in next week's budget.
"The NSW Government approved the Final Business Case in March this year and has reserved more than $600 million towards the project. The previous Commonwealth Government had reserved 50 per cent of the project cost and NSW is looking forward to seeing that reservation maintained in the next budget," Mr Anderson said.
"I have spoken with the Federal Water Minister, and the Deputy Premier has written to the Federal Treasurer to impress upon them the importance of the New Dungowan Dam for the Tamworth community, and to reaffirm its funding contribution.
"NSW is committed to the New Dungowan Dam and the NSW Government is looking forward to seeing the Commonwealth reaffirm its commitment in next week's budget."
Mr Anderson said the EIS shows significant progress and is an opportunity for the community to provide their feedback on this Critical State Significant Infrastructure project that will increase town water supply, diversify water sources, increase drought resilience, and maintain water for farmers.
"This has been the culmination of more than two years of hard work by the NSW Government to finalise the detailed investigations, surveys and studies, and the extensive community engagement, required to develop the EIS.
"The EIS provides information on the economic, environmental and social impacts of the New Dungowan Dam and Pipeline and will be on public exhibition for six weeks. We want to hear from as many people as possible to enable us to deliver the best project outcomes.
"The NSW Government remains committed to driving this project forward which is why we have delivered the EIS ahead of time to ensure the New Dungowan Dam is shovel ready before the end of 2023."
The EIS will be on public display from the end of October at the following locations:
- Department of Planning and Environment Office - Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
- Tamworth Regional Council - Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4pm
- Tamworth Public Library - Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday 10am - 4pm
There will be a series of information and drop-in sessions to enable locals to talk directly to the project team including:
Project updates:
- 5 - 5.30pm, Wednesday 23 November at Dungowan Station
- 9 - 9.30am, Thursday 24 November at Department of Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Centre
- 5 - 5.30pm, Thursday 24 November at IBIS Styles Tamworth
Community Drop-in sessions:
- 5.30 - 7pm, Wednesday 23 November at Dungowan Station
- 9.30 - 11am, Thursday 24 November at Department of Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Centre
- 5.30 - 7pm, Thursday 24 November at IBIS Styles Tamworth
There will also be a Q&A webinar on Wednesday 30 November between 5 - 7pm.
