AMENDMENTS to the Peel Valley Water Sharing Plan will be top of the agenda when Tamworth mayor Col Murray meets with the NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey next week.
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The push for change comes after it was revealed 62 megalitres of water for environmental releases would be let out of Chaffey Dam after the dam reached 20 per cent on Wednesday.
Cr Murray said the plan, which was submitted to the Murray Darling Basin Authority last month, did not give the city its fair share of water and he would be doing all he could to change that.
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"We've got a meeting scheduled with the water minister for August 5 and we will put our case before her once again," Cr Murray said.
"Our case won't have changed since the last time.
"I would hate to see our city lined up for another 10 years on the same water sharing plan.
"Unless the basic principles of that water sharing plan are reconsidered in certain aspects, I think it will lead to the detriment of the city of Tamworth."
The plan was submitted to the Murray Darling Basin Authority on June 30, but Federal Water, Resources and Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt told the Leader the plan was yet to be submitted to him.
"Given NSW have submitted 20 separate water resource plans to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, I understand that the advice on all of these may take some time to develop," Mr Pitt told the Leader.
"I have asked the Authority to work through these plans as quickly as possible."
Mr Pitt said it was possible for amendments to be made to the Peel Valley Water Sharing Plan in the future.
"Once the assessment and accreditation process is complete, the plan comes into effect," he said.
"NSW can propose amendments to their accredited water resource plans at any time - which then must go through the same accreditation process."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
