THE region's current water sharing plan "appears flawed", according to a Tamworth council submission to an upcoming review into the scheme.
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Tamworth's councillors will cast their eyes over a proposed submission to the Natural Resources Commission's review of the Peel Water Sharing Plan at this week's ordinary meeting.
The council's water director, Bruce Logan has put forward five points to put to the commission.
The report before council said the process for determining allocations "appears flawed".
... despite good compliance by the community, [it] did not have a significant impact on the rate of fall of the dam storage.
- Tamworth water director Bruce Logan
It highlights the fact council's water restrictions no longer sync up with the reduction of general security allocations.
"This meant that water from Chaffey Dam was not being released for any other purpose but for local water utility supplies and some high security entitlement holders, when water restrictions were introduced in Tamworth," the report said.
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"The allocation for general security entitlement holders meant the introduction and escalation of water restrictions by council, despite good compliance by the community, did not have a significant impact on the rate of fall of the dam storage because the bulk of the water released during this period was for irrigation requirements."
The report also said the current plan doesn't not provide "adequate security" for city residents.
"The [plan] needs to be reviewed in light of the present drought to ensure the city of Tamworth and Moonbi-Kootingal are not on water restrictions during periods when the city is not the main consumer of water from the dam," it said.
"Provision of water for local water utilities is fourth highest priority of the plan, behind only water for the environment, water for domestic and stock rights, and water for native title rights."
The report also raised concerns about future water allocations once the Chaffey to Dungowan pipeline is installed.
The pipeline is aimed at offsetting loss incurred transporting water downstream.
"It would seem ludicrous for the NSW government to spend an estimated $40 Million on a pipeline ... only for the water sharing plan to then erode that security by allocating water previously held for losses to other uses," the report said.