On Thursday evening at the monthly meeting of the Tamworth Regional Council, councillors will be asked to approve a recommendation that no further action be taken on a proposal to build a pipeline between Split Rock Dam and the town, citing cost as the chief hurdle.

According to Barraba resident and TRC councillor, Shirley Close, the recommendation had “no vision and would allow the town to wither under the current hypocrisy of environmental sensitivity”.

Cr Close and members of the Barraba Community Development Committee were dismayed by the “bureaucratic” recommendation by Tamworth Regional Council’s water enterprises director Bruce Logan.

She said it overlooked the most obvious option to solve the town’s ongoing water crisis.

Cr Close said a quote for a pipeline in 1994 was listed at $3.36 million while a NSW Government report in 2005/06 indicated a pipeline would then cost $6.6 million. Thursday’s report to council has listed an estimated cost of a pipeline in the vicinity of $15 million.

“Nothing will grow without water and this recommendation has no vision at the bureaucratic level,” she said.

Cr Close said the bottom line was the costing put forward by council staff would “virtually close the door on what would (otherwise) give Barraba a drought-proof community”.

The Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, plans to speak on the issue in Parliament tomorrow and meet with Water Minister Nathan Rees while in Sydney.

The independent MP said Barraba was “right among the worst in quality of supply and reliability”.

“If the council does not supply decent water, they condemn the community to no future prospects,” Mr Draper said.

He said Barraba could become a boom town and an economic engine for the region if only it could be guaranteed a decent water supply.

“The community could have a right to feel lost and forgotten in the (local government) amalgamation process,” he said.