I refer to the matter of the recent increased water releases from Chaffey Dam despite the dam's level remaining steady during these great rain events. Like many fellow residents you would think that during times of wet weather some dam procedures would be suspended or reviewed.
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I see that the State Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson has finally chimed in on the management of Chaffey Dam, an issue I believe he should have been concerned about more than two years ago, but like many things, "she'll be right mate" and "don't rock the boat" seems to be local Nationals policy. With that attitude it is little wonder we see neighbouring electorates awash in cash and ongoing projects, while Tamworth sees delays and obfuscation on a range of projects.
I have written on three occasions to Kevin's colleague the Minister for Water and Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey to no avail. It seems that if you ask difficult or antagonistic questions about the way our water resources are managed you don't deserve a response, even though we live in a democracy, my past 27 years of party membership accounted for nought too. There is an unhealthy opaqueness to water management by the other tiers that needs the disinfecting benefits of sunlight.
As many readers might know I have been harping on about the disappearance of large quantities of water from Chaffey Dam. 25,394 million litres in the 2017-18 water year, and 8,941 million litres in the 2018-19 water year - nominated on the Peel Valley Water Balance Reports as End of System Flows masquerading as Environmental Flows that are measured at the Carroll Gap Bridge as they enter the Namoi River from the Peel and voilà the water switches from environmental water to a tradeable commodity again and discounted 50%. Added to this is the other figure from 2018-19 water year - the Unaccounted Difference 6,070 million litres a total of 40.405 gigalitres or 40% of Chaffey Dam gone in two years and no one at State or Local government level thinks that is worthy of a response.
Further investigation provides a bit of an answer to the reasons why Kevin's state government has mismanaged water storages throughout rural NSW. This is contained in the Water Management Amendment Act, 2014 presented to the parliament by the former Minister for Water and former Member for Barwon, Kevin Humphries and endorsed by our Kevin during the vote division. This government and its local government apologists mismanaged water so appallingly it made the pain inflicted by the unprecedented drought far more painful. Mismanagement that will see native fish, flora and fauna take decades to recover, if at all. Mismanagement that has impacted residents, farmers, industry and businesses everywhere throughout rural NSW.
I am heartened to see our local MP is now concerned about Chaffey Dam. I hope that in the fullness of time Westminster principles and the rule of law will be restored, as well as the transparency and accountability of our government a government that has proven itself beholden to donors, lobbyists and vested interests, that is just plainly un-Australian.
Mark Rodda is a Tamworth resident and a Tamworth councillor
