TILLEGRA DAM DAMNED

Thursday, 05 February 2009 23:13

A decision by the NSW Government to declare the proposed Tillegra Dam “critical infrastructure” under the controversial Part 3A law, will muzzle public debate and allow crucial environmental protection legislation to be ignored in the so-called “environmental assessment process”, the Total Environment Centre (TEC) said today.

“Declaring Tillegra Dam critical infrastructure will ensure a sham assessment process,” warned TEC Director, Mr Jeff Angel. “It will allow the Government to override crucial environmental and planning considerations such as threatened species and land clearing.”

The declaration was made quietly by the Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally MP, on the 9th of January when most of NSW was still in holiday mode. It enables the Government to approve the dam regardless of the outcome of any environmental assessment.

 “There is no clear justification for Tillegra Dam and there is growing public anger over the proposal,” Mr Angel said.

TEC has called on the Government to abandon the proposed Tillegra Dam and develop and plan for sustainable water management in the Hunter.

“Rather than attempting to ram through an unnecessary dam with a biased assessment process the NSW Government and Hunter Water should be working to place water management in the Hunter on a sustainable footing. This should include an open public process to develop cheaper and environmentally sustainable options such as increased water conservation and recycling,” Mr Angel said.