It is not just our infrastructure that will be significantly impacted by global warming; but literally every aspect of our lives, ranging from our health, food security, water supply, to property insurability will be affected.

While it is important to prepare for the warming climate, it is equally critical that we address the root cause of climate change, which is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in line with science-based targets. In this post-covid recovery period, this is our golden opportunity to rewire our future; to shift our economy to a lower carbon-intensive one, and to have bipartisan climate policies that is based on science.

Zali Steggall's Climate Change Bill will provide this. Let us support a Bill that will safeguard our futures.

Amanda Carlon, North Tamworth

I note that a NSW Parliament inquiry commenced this week - Rationale for, and impacts of, new dams and other water infrastructure in NSW.

I am extremely glad and grateful that Mother Earth has endowed our region with rains that seem to be finally falling in the right catchment area above Chaffey Dam which has increased to 31.6% of 100.5 gigalitres (GL) as at today (Thursday 29/10/2020).

However in the NSW Government's rush to attenuate for the guilt of mismanaging our region's precious water resources over the last few years of drought, the NSW Nationals hurriedly announced and installed a pipeline from Chaffey Dam to Dungowan village costing taxpayers millions that will now mostly sit idle with stagnant, putrid water when Chaffey Dam's level is 20% or higher, plus a new $480 million new Dungowan dam for just 16.5 gigalitres more capacity than the current Dungowan Dam.

Neither proposal is able to guarantee that it will "secure Tamworth, Kootingal and Moonbi's water supply into the future" and that is exactly what our residents, businesses and industries need - water security, not ongoing restrictive level 3, 4 and 5 water restrictions. This has a damaging impact to our region and makes it difficult to compete with others on a level playing field.

This is because the gruff Water Minister Melinda Pavey proposes no amendments to water sharing plans dating back to 2010, the Water Management Act, 2000 or the Water Management Amendment Act, 2018 or indeed to include the most recent Drought of Record in current calculations about how much water should be held in reserve for critical human needs.

Furthermore, there is no proposal to reduce the charges for Peel Valley residents for the cost of raw water making it the most expensive in the State.

This is a failure of our current rural representatives who boast a seat at the table of government yet sit compliantly by as their residents, businesses, industries and constituents hurt. They certainly haven't ever got a "bloody nose" for their residents and their knocking on the doors of fellow ministers must be both meek and weak.

I also note that our local MP Kevin Anderson, along with his Nationals colleagues, steadfastly refuse to agree to a Water Register proposed by Murray MP Helen Dalton because I believe they are protecting party donors and corporate water traders including themselves.

If the water supplies expand under The Nationals those water traders will continue to plunder a new Dungowan dam supply as they did Chaffey Dam over the last two years of drought and then where will we be? Level 5 restrictions again?

There are great alternatives to the proposed $480 million waste on a dam proposal that will do little to secure water supply to local residents and in fact put more pressure on an already struggling environment, local farmers, irrigators, flora and fauna because it will hold back more water they might otherwise have access to.

With the good rains falling in Chaffey Dam's catchment, now is the time for the state government to relax, pause and seriously consider alternatives instead of rushing head-long into this ideological desire to deliver more dams at any cost, simply because The Nationals want to be known as the party that delivered more dams and hang the expense or detrimental impacts.

There is no EIS or business case, no discussion about the impact on current High Security licences held by our communities or what percentage of a new Dungowan Dam will be quarantined for our communities, no guarantee of ownership or control by our council, no discussion about compensation for TRC ratepayers for extant dam infrastructure and pipeline or the adjoining land purchased by council that will be used for the proposed new dam and I believe the ultimate end game for our water resources around the state is PRIVATISATION.

This fear is corroborated by the government's previous poor record on asset sales such as electricity, coupled with the Water Minister's dogged desire to maintain control and ownership of our state water infrastructure.

Residents of our region can only imagine the cost of that serious mistake and disgrace, with a France, UK, USA or China company selling Australian's their water like we see with other resources throughout Australia.

The great alternatives are - better management of existing storages; a pipeline from Split Rock Dam or Keepit Dam to Tamworth at a quarter of the cost; reverse osmosis water recycling like Perth and storm water harvesting like Orange.

This would leave sufficient funds from the $480 million dam proposal to be expended on a Banksia Acute Mental Health Unit; duplication of Goonoo Goonoo Road between Calala Lane and Jack Smyth Drive; upgrades to Port Stephens Cutting, Nundle Road and Rangari Road; more sealing of unsealed roads which are a bane to many rural and urban TRC residents; I know, a performing arts centre and new aquatic centre - just some of the worthwhile projects the balance of $480 million could be directed to.

Kevin Anderson, over to you.

Mark Rodda, Tamworth

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