Disappointment that Wyangala Dam Raising will not proceed

Published on 15 September 2023

The Mayor of Lachlan Shire Council, Cr John Medcalf OAM, has joined other Mayors and communities of Central NSW to express his disappointment in the announcement by the NSW State Government that the raising of the wall at Wyangala Dam will not proceed.

“The Lachlan Valley has the most insecure water supply of any catchment in NSW. At the same time, flooding in the Lachlan Valley has been extreme over the past decade. Climatologists are predicting more severe droughts and storms due to climate change. Therefore, increased storage to improve water security for the Lachlan will enhance outcomes for our communities and provide protection from drought and flood.” Cr Medcalf said.

“We have known for some time that more storage is needed to secure towns and other productive water users in Central NSW. I support recommendations made in the NSW Government’s Business Case for raising the wall of Wyangala Dam that an expansion of the regional water grid is required. However, I am concerned that the Business Case did not fully consider the benefit of avoiding the cost of closing towns down due to water shortfall in their cost benefit analysis. The assumption that towns ‘will not run out of water’ is an oversight which is at odds with the lived experience of many water users in our shire. The region needs to continue to work with the NSW Government to ensure the full costs to our communities are considered during development of options to improve water security for the Lachlan.” Cr Medcalf concluded.