THERE was no bigger reminder yesterday of the importance of a secure water supply for a city as large as Tamworth than the start of the $50 million expansion of Chaffey Dam.
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It’s long overdue but finally under way and, with the drought gripping the region, its completion can’t come soon enough.
Chaffey is at just over 39 per cent, just a few percentage points above the trigger for a harsh new regime of water restrictions.
But, the question is being asked, when – and it seems it’s now a question of when rather than if – level three restrictions are introduced across the Tamworth Regional Council area, will people adhere to them or continue to flout them, as they are doing with the current rules?
Too many people, it seems, are failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation and the implications for our region if dam levels continue to fall.
The “four-strike” rule that’s currently in place doesn’t seem nearly enough to deal with water wasters.
Two warning letters and a fine of just a few hundred dollars before flow restrictors are installed seems very inadequate given the current conditions.
The council is the ultimate enforcer of these restrictions and there must be real punishments in place – higher fines and the implementation of restrictors sooner – for those knowingly doing the wrong thing.
These are challenging times, there’s no doubt, and the temptation to turn on the sprinkler or hose for an hour or two hardly seems like a criminal offence, but the reality is we must all make sacrifices until the dams are full once again, and those who don’t play by the rules hurt us all.
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ON THE subject of council, the formation of a local ratepayers’ association is surely a positive for the area and its residents.
It’s hoped the new body will be the responsible, forthright and well-informed mouthpiece Tamworth Regional Council ratepayers need and will be open to concerns and opinions from all sectors of the community.
Of course, in order for this to happen, there has to be people willing to participate and volunteer their time to ensure the association has an enduring and meaningful future.
There’s many out there who have an opinion on the workings of council – now’s their opportunity to show how serious they really are.
