Kootingal, Moonbi, Bendermeer uranium water contamination community meeting

Tamworth Regional Council will hold a meeting at Kootingal Bowling Club at 7pm, to ease any fears following a report from NSW Health’s uranium expert panel, which said there was a “negligible risk” of adverse health effects.

While no health expert will attend the meeting, Tamworth Regional mayor Col Murray, councillor and Kootingal-local Phil Betts, and water director Bruce Logan will be present to answer questions.

Any questions they are unable to answer will be sent to Hunter New England Health, who will provide a response.

Cr Murray said he understood there may still be a “high degree of concern” in the community, but most of it  “appeared to have diluted”.

“These things are never easy,” he said.

“The information flow has certainly been good, and the Department of Health was quick to respond.”

It was now council’s job to “look at long-term solutions”, Cr Murray said.

“It is certainly desirable to use the ground water out there,” he said.

“First there will have to be quite a strong testing process to prove the appropriateness of that into the future.

“Water is always an issue for us and it’s something council takes very seriously. It’s great to have dams full, which takes pressure off us over next few years while we investigate a longer-term solution.”

Kootingal and Moonbi were switched over to the Tamworth town water supply when the contamination was discovered.

While plenty of residents were worried about the uranium, many told The Leader they were more concerned about the taste of the town water and preferred their own water supply.

Cr Murray said that was a “sign of a patriotic community”.

“Most water supplies have a unique taste and it’s very easy to get use to a unique taste,” he said.

“When their first choice is to have their own water supply, that’s a great sign.”