Hunter Water is forging ahead with work on a $1billion desalination plant proposal and three options for dams. The new regional water plan is being drawn up following the dumping of the Tillegra dam.
Hunter Water has hired consultants to help it explore options for water supply augmentation and drought measures using what appears to be money from a $350 million fund that the Coalition government promised would be spent on new infrastructure.
Documents tabled to NSW Parliament after a call for papers from the Greens reveal the water utility is seeking further advice from GHD, which provided a report in 2007 that identified desalination plant sites at Stockton, Belmont and Williamtown.
The plant, at a cost of about $1 billion, could potentially provide 120 megalitres a day for emergency supply, about half the capacity of Sydney’s plant.
As well, the documents say the NSW Public Works office is to look at the expansion of Lostock dam on the Paterson River, pumping to transfer water into the Williams River and an ‘‘upper Chichester dam’’ near the Barrington Tops National Park.
The third dam option is believed to be for Mammy Johnsons River near Karuah.
‘‘This year Hunter Water’s storages have already dropped below the trigger level for desalination pre-work worth about $100million,’’ a Hunter Water position paper dated May states.
Hunter Water emails also refer to the need to examine sourcing water from Sydney during a severe drought, and links to the Central Coast and Mid-North Coast.
And Sinclair Knight Merz is identifying sewer and stormwater recycling options as part of a consultancy worth $186,234.
The former Labor government dumped the $477 million Tillegra dam after experts for the Department of Planning were scathing in their criticism of the proposal and cast doubt on Hunter Water’s modelling.
Labor said it would direct the Office of Water to develop a new plan in consultation with the community.
Greens upper house MP John Kaye said Hunter Water should not be involved in the process ‘‘given its appalling track record with Tillegra’’.
