TAMWORTH'S mayor believes more than half a billion dollars' worth of funding for water security should help plug any drain on the city's population.
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It comes as regional economic experts warn fears about water supplies could force workers from places like Tamworth and Armidale in search of greater opportunities.
But Col Murray said those fears should have been allayed by the recent funding announcements for Tamworth's water security.
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"Up until the most recent announcement from the federal and state government, I think there could have been a case for that," he told the Leader.
"Now we have solutions for short term and long term water security."
He referred to the Chaffey pipeline and the $480 million committed to build a new Dungowan dam.
He said there was a "sigh of relief from large water users feeling some comfort for the future" following the announcements.
The pipeline will stretch the remaining water stored in Chaffey Dam.
The state government has expedited the process as quickly as possible and expects the project to be finished by the end of February.
While Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new 22.5 gigalitre Dungowan Dam would probably be finished by 2024.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro also recently said towns the size of Tamworth, Orange and Dubbo would struggle to survive if the drought continues for another three years.
Cr Murray conceded this current drought was "unprecedented" but remained optimistic about the opportunity to get to a "much better place to manage water".
"With the current review of the water sharing plan, we have a very significant opportunity to do something substantial for the security of town water supplies," he said.
"This is the place to be having a discussion about the division of access to stored water."
The mayor's comment comes as fellow councillor Mark Rodda lodged a notice of motion to call on the Water Minister to explain how Chaffey Dam depleted so quickly.
Cr Murray said "the drought has got a lot do with it" and pointed to the lack of inflows into the dam.
He was sceptical about the motion and what it was asking. The mayor wouldn't confirm whether he would vote against Cr Rodda's notice of motion.