NO DAM GIVES THE HUNTER WATER MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY

Last Updated on Monday, 29 November 2010 15:27 Monday, 29 November 2010 15:22

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Newcastle and the Hunter have been an historic opportunity to become leaders in sustainable water management, after the decision to reject the proposed Tillegra Dam, Total Environment Centre (TEC) said today.

"Tillegra Dam was an expensive white elephant that could not be justified on the basis of need, cost or environmental impact,” TEC Water Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said. “Having made the only sensible decision to reject the dam, the State Government should now focus on making Hunter Water a leader in sustainable water management.”

Hunter Water was criticised throughout the Tillegra saga because it neglected cheaper, environmentally sustainable options such as water conservation, recycling and stormwater harvesting, while pursuing a massive engineering project that was simply not required.

“Hunter Water has failed to introduce basic water savings rules that have saved millions of litres of water in cities around the country. It has undermined the development of water recycling by giving its largest industrial water users massive discounts to discourage them from switching to recycled water,” Mr Martin said.

Tillegra Dam was first proposed in the 1980’s in response to a severe and prolonged drought. A decision to reject the dam then in favour of water conservation saw Hunter Water become a national leader in sustainable water management with the introduction of user pays pricing, innovative water conservation programs and a major recycling project at Eraring Power Station.

“Newcastle and the Hunter once led the country in water conservation. Sadly this proud status has been lost as Hunter Water pursued an outdated and discredited dam building agenda over the last four years.

“This second rejection of Tillegra Dam offers a chance to become a world leader in sustainable water management,” Mr Martin said.