I heard our Australian Dep PM Michael McCormack discussing the Budget infrastructure spend say on TV News “NSW might bring forward Dungowan Dam”.
What th’ – on 14Oct2019 back in “the drought” Prime Minister Morrison and NSW Premier announced Canberra would give NSW a $Billion for dams including the new Dungowan. See links in my 27Sep20 blog ScoMo $Bill on NSW dams where I noted that nothing was happening except EIS prepping and “community consultation”. Also the Tamworth Regional Council water supplies page has nothing I saw about a new Dungowan Dam. NSW Energy policy from late 2020 has unmasked the increasingly Green policies in NSW and maybe Deputy PM McCormack is correct in implying the proposed Dungowan Dam is on some sort of deliberate holding pattern. In February the Productivity Commission released a draft report “National Water Reform”. This pointed out arguments against a new Dungowan Dam based on “costs of buying water” issues. The “National Water Reform” draft also reveals on page 183/184 of 229 in “Box 13.1 Flawed decision making for Dungowan Dam” – quote [In 2016, the New South Wales and Australian Governments committed a total of $150 million to the construction of Dungowan Dam on the Peel River (ANZIP 2020).] So now the cost has blown out to ~$500Mill yet here we are 5 years on from 2016 – it has rained again and NSW Water Dept are still doing [EIS prepping and “community consultation”].
IMHO just more evidence Australia has lost its way.
When asked where the smaller dams for much hyped “pumped hydro” will be constructed, exactly the same sit-on-hands answer is produced. That is, it’s just a PR lie.
I cannot remember who in the ANU has been loudly promoting pumped hydro – I choose not to remember. But his team of “researchers” (individuals from which have jumped up in drive-bys on blogs and then disappeared again, so it’s obvious they are tracking resistance) claims to have identified thousands of suitable sites for pumping water up to, so it can fall down again. Yet coyly, they refuse to actually identify a single site. To do so risks Greenie opposition from nimbies.
The more we are over-governed, the less gets done.
The more we listen to Greens, the less gets done.
The real cause needs to be pointed out . The bureaucrats & flunkies supervising this process o building all live in the big bloody cities.
The people who need the dams live in the BUSH !
Kick all the city based bureaucrats out of the process and it will go ahead quickly
SIMPLE !