TAMWORTH'S mayor has called in to question a recent report which suggested the city could run dry by June next year.
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The projection came from a report which quoted WaterNSW modelling based on the worst-case scenario without rain or government intervention.
The report suggested the Peel River and Chaffey Dam could be empty by June next year.
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But Col Murray said it was too early to be making predictions on a day zero for Tamworth and the city "was not that close" to running dry.
Cr Murray said there would be more certainty about the longevity of the city's remaining supply by the end of the summer.
"We're not sure what the losses will be without any irrigation from surface water," he said.
"We're not sure what the losses will be with water drawn from the aquifer for groundwater irrigation.
"We're doing our best to try and get the longest possible time out the water that is left."
The state government is believed to be working double time to get the Chaffey to Dungowan pipeline built by March 2020.
The pipeline has been seen as a solution to "transmission loss" which meant the council was requesting a release from Chaffey Dam almost double what was needed to service the city.
Cr Murray believed the pipeline would give the city more certainty and had bought more time.
"We would have definitely run out next year if the actions proposed weren't taken," he said.
The state government recently pledged $39 million to build the pipeline which was seen as an emergency measure to see the city through the drought.
But it appears there is still no certainty on a long term water security project.
An expansion to Dungowan Dam has firmed as the best option for Tamworth.
"That rests with the other levels of government and their capacity to fund it, local government simply does not have that capacity," he said.
Deputy premier John Barilaro said the state needed to start building dams sooner and suggested easing planning requirements and community consultation on the process.
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.
