THE state government has finally splashed out $10 million for the Liverpool Plains Shire Council to upgrade Werris Creeks water treatment plant.
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Council has badgered the state government for close to 12 months to come to the party with funding for the project.
The federal government pledged $10 million towards the upgrade last year and council also stumped up $7 million for the project.
The towns current treatment plant has been in operation since the 1930s and mayor Andrew Hope has said the ageing facility hasnt been able to cope with Werris Creeks needs for some time.
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Werris Creek has been kept on water restrictions, despite an abundance of supply, because the plant cannot treat enough water quickly enough to keep up with the demand.
Cr Hope said the $10 million water windfall drought-proofs the entire shire, following on from projects in Wallabadah, and Willow Tree as well as an upgrade for Quipolly Dam.
While council had to wait for the states contribution to the project, Cr Hope was still extremely pleased by the announcement.
We cant complain about the assistance of the state government, he said.
Weve received a nice slice of funding and we are seeing some money being put into the regions.
Its better than it has been in previous years.
The mayor said it would be two years before the new treatment plant would be up and running.
While the council pushed concertedly for the state government to match the federal input, Cr Hope there were more projects on the horizon which would need more funding, including an upgrade to local sewerage treatment plants.
The mayor said the project had its fair share of detractors and thought a dependable water supply was wonderful legacy to leave future generations.
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said was a rigorous process for funding applications to go through, particularly for water projects.
It takes so long because water infrastructure has been neglected for so long, Mr Anderson said.
Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen said the funding would drought-proof communities in the region like Werris Creek and Quirindi.
These works will see improvements in water quality, storage and transportation across the Liverpool Plains region, Mr Johnsen said.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
