Tamworth Regional Council unveils draft water security plan

The Tamworth Regional Council has released a draft water security plan for a 28-day public exhibition period. The plan focuses on securing surface water through dams to support the growing city.

A central component of the proposal is the construction of a pipeline from either Keepit Dam or Split Rock Dam. Mayor Russell Webb has called for the government to begin designing these pipelines immediately so they are ‘shovel-ready’ by the time water levels in the Chaffey Dam reach 20 per cent capacity.

This 20 per cent threshold serves as a strategic trigger. According to James McLoughney, the council’s manager of projects, strategy, and infrastructure, the trigger provides the state government with the flexibility to manage water allocation. At the 20 per cent mark, Tamworth would still have approximately two years of water remaining in the Chaffey Dam, allowing sufficient time for government decisions regarding pipeline construction or changes to water allocation rules.