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- Concerned channel user
- Consultation and feasibility grant
- Making their case
An Albert Priest Channel user has welcomed council looking at water security and off river storage, but is concerned about the cost of piping the channel.
Tom Moxham of Mullengudgery, uses the channel for stock water, irrigation developments and house water and said the channel is a very important resource for the landholders who are on it.
He said it is a positive move council is looking at improving water security for Nyngan.
“I am really pleased that the council has already taken a very important step with the building of the first storage dam this year,” he said.
“The proposed storage dams will be a vital resource for the town when they come online.”
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When it comes to the potential piping of the Albert Priest Channel however, Mr Moxham has deemed the costs as “terrifying.”
“The report that has been presented to the council is totally biased towards this outcome. It completely dismisses making much needed upgrades to the existing channel which would provide 60 to 70 per cent reductions in the channel’s water losses,” he said.
“It’s crazy because the report itself will cost $800,000, this money could have been used to make the channel so much more efficient by replacing the badly leaking siphon pipe, which accounts for a significant proportion of its losses. Instead this money is going to out of town consultants.”
Mr Moxham said as a ratepayer he is concerned that the cost of piping the channel is blowing out and the Shire will be left with a large debt.
“Also as a farmer who has irrigated from the channel, if it is piped we will not longer be able to irrigate because the cost of pumping the water in a pipeline will make it prohibitively expensive,” he said.
Albert Priest Channel Survey