Securing Our Water Future

In November 2006 the NSW Government announced a $342 million plan to secure the water future for the Lower Hunter and Central Coast regions.  The plan will provide for population growth within the two regions for at least the next 60 years, and even longer with the Central Coast’s Mardi/Mangrove pipeline link.   Importantly, the plan will also provide significant drought security for both areas.

The plan includes:

• A new 450 billion litre dam at Tillegra  to be constructed on the upper Williams River (north of Dungog), known as Tillegra Dam. The proposal is subject obtaining all the necessary approvals.
• New pumps at Balickera  (north of Newcastle) to capture greater flood flows from the Williams River.
• A $25 million recycled water plant to provide 3 billion litres of treated effluent each year for industries on Kooragang Island and the Mayfield Industrial Precinct.
• Increasing the capacity of the existing pipeline link between the Hunter and the Central Coast.

All elements of the plan are progressing well.

Concurrent with implementing the various elements of the plan, Hunter Water is also reviewing the 2003 Integrated Water Resource Plan to identify the best mix of water efficiency measures for the future. Community comment on the draft plan - to be called WaterPlan H250 - will be sought around March/April 2008, prior to the plan being finalised.