Water security in the Nyngan and Cobar Shires is under scrutiny as the state government and local councils assess the future of the Albert Priest Channel.
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The Bogan Shire Council has maintained it will not support the piping of the Albert Priest Channel until it has received results of the community consultation and a financial review, which is not due to be completed until early 2018.
The council decided on this in August.
Despite this, member for Barwon Kevin Humphries released a media statement on September 19 stating the storage currently being built in Nyngan is a part of the piping project.
“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,” the statement reads.
Two days later the council held an extraordinary meeting and unanimously reaffirmed its stance on the potential Albert Priest Project.
Councillors agreed to wait until the results of the consultations are available next year.
The resolution read:
“That council believes the proposed 3000 mega litres of off-river storage, together with the two smaller 700 mega litres of off-river storages are solutions to the long-term water security needs of the Bogan and Cobar shires.
“That council strongly believes that this public consultation, which is to include the likely impact of the construction of a pipeline on the future price of water, is required, in the best interests of our community.
“That council for this reason is unable to commit to supporting the NSW Government’s application for the funding of the Albert Priest Pipeline at this stage.”
When questioned about this difference of opinion, Mr Humphries said the project is being evaluated and the NSW Government will work closely with the local council and the community to progress the important water security project.
“The NSW Government is committed to improving water security and accessibility for Nyngan and Cobar communities,” he said.