The council will break its own drought management plan in order to open two public pools for the upcoming swim season, following a vote at last night's ordinary meeting.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The drought management plan authorises the enforcement of water restrictions in the council area during dry times.
Tamworth's highest tier of water restrictions, level five, advises council to close public pools and could be just weeks away.
READ MORE:
Following community lobbying efforts, and an amendment moved by deputy mayor and Kootingal resident Phil Betts, Scully and Kooty pools will be opened this summer.
The council's caveats on the move include exclusively filling the pools with bore water outside of the current drinking supplies, as well as revisiting the pools' operation once Chaffey Dam hits 15 per cent.
Cr Betts' move to double-down and open Kooty pool received early support from fellow councillors.
Charles Impey, Mark Rodda and Juanita Wilson all emphasised the need to maintain the recreational areas as a place for mental relief in a emotionally draining dry spell.
Cr Betts suggested how little water it would take to fill Kooty's pool; about 8000 litres.
He also claimed earlier in the night that Tamworth would have "no day zero" because the pipeline from Chaffey to Dungowan would ensure a supply and prevent the city from running out of water.
Other councils around NSW have stated and planned for a day zero when they predict the taps will run dry with no change in weather.
Glenn Inglis supported the motion with a very stark reminder to the council and community, while also calling into question Cr Betts' claim.
He cast doubt on the pipeline's completion coming in time and said opening the pools sent a mixed message.
"It could get easily interpreted as there's no real problem," he said.
Cr Inglis said there was a lot of weight being place on the pipeline as the "saviour", but he believed the weather outlook was bleak and there was a real possibility of the city running dry.
"The fact it's non-potable water gets me over the line, otherwise I would have voted against it," he said.
"We've got to have a view of the future and the big picture and we cannot take our eyes off it."
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.
