Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries is pleased to announce that works have commenced to improve water security for the towns of Nyngan and Cobar through construction of an off-river storage facility at Nyngan. The storage will have capacity for up to 700-megalitres.

“The NSW Government is proud to be supporting the Nyngan and Cobar communities through $10,000,000 in funding for this important water supply project,” Mr Humphries said.

The storage will supplement the existing water supply, especially during years of low allocation in the Macquarie River. The storage is being built as part of a long-term plan that involves piping the Albert Priest Channel and connecting to the aquifer at Warren.

Construction work on the new storage is expected to be complete in early 2018.

The project has been fully funded by the NSW Government through the Restart NSW Water Security for the Regions Program.

Mr Humphries said that the NSW Government is committed to helping communities prepare for further drought conditions.

“We are very pleased to see this project commence, as the new off-river storage at Nyngan will help the communities of both Nyngan and Cobar be better prepared for future drought conditions,” Mr Humphries said.

“This will provide the community with the necessary infrastructure and security to grow sustainably into the future.” 

Bogan Shire Council Mayor, Ray Donald, welcomed works commencing on the new storage.

“For Nyngan and Cobar to survive and prosper, their water supplies must be secure. This is the start of service storage, a key part of an important water security program,” Mayor Donald said.

“In drought years, the availability of water in the towns is governed by allocation restrictions.

“This storage will increase the secure water supply and ease the pressure on communities during those challenging periods.”