Wyangala Dam Misses Federal Funding, But Millions Will Be Spent on Improving Flood Warning System
There is still no federal funding available for one of New South Wales’ most expensive water security projects.
Key Point:
- Wyangala Dam Expansion Misses Federal Funds Again
- NSW Government launches long-awaited review of business case for expansion
- Millions of dollars will be spent improving town’s flood warning system
Expansion plans for the Wyangara Dam near Cowra in the central west state have been underway for three and a half years.
when announced, Federal and NSW governments agreed to share costswhich was estimated at $650 million.
But the latest federal budget does not include funding for the project.
It said the $19.1 million Wyangala dam wall lifting and another water project for 2026-2027 will be postponed.
The government said final decisions on these projects will be made once the plans are complete.
“In some ways it’s not surprising that they’re logging it, but it’s a bit of a shock,” said Tom Green of Lachlan Valley Water, a group of irrigators.
“Why don’t we at least look through the planning hoops to see if the project works as we believe it will?
“If you don’t fund the plan, you won’t get the answer.
“We can only assume it was remanded back to the New South Wales government to make a decision.”
The Federal Labor Office first revealed in its October 2022 “mini-budget” that it is deferring federal funding for the project.
At the time, the government said it would reconsider the donation once the business case was completed.
was Scheduled for completion in 2021 And the timeline for its completion has been repeatedly pushed back.
Some of the delays are due to COVID-19 and massive flooding along the Lachlan River in 2022.
Completing the business case
ABC has revealed that the NSW government will start reviewing the final business case this month.
“It’s great that it’s been submitted and I look forward to the New South Wales Government considering the project,” Green said.
“But it is difficult for the federal government to defer funding.”
Nationalist MP Michael McCormack’s Riverina constituency covers Wyangara Dam and a significant portion of the Lachlan River leading to Forbes, which experienced major flooding in late 2022.
He said he fears the project will never become a reality.
“Under Labor, I see no future at all,” McCormack said.
“When we got a federal Labor government that was trying to save and save, and we had Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, we wanted to review all the projects under the $120 billion investment pipeline that we had in place. thinking about.”
flood warning
The federal budget includes hopes for towns like Yugoura. “Inland Tsunami” in November 2022.
Commonwealth will provide $236 million over 10 years to rehabilitate high-priority flood warning infrastructure.
The Bureau of Meteorology will upgrade rain gauges and river gauges owned by local and state governments and integrate them into existing flood warning networks.
Residents of Yugoura have expressed frustration and anger that they were not given a warning that they would hit a “wall of water”.
Local independent MP Andrew Gee said these communities deserved better.
“I think it was triggered by disasters like Yugoura, Kudal and Lismore, among others,” Gee said.
“I think a lot of people have a hard time understanding that Eugowra can disappear off the map without prior warning.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-10/federal-budget-wyangala-dam-flood-warning-systems/102322528 Wyangala Dam Misses Federal Funding, But Millions Will Be Spent on Improving Flood Warning System
