DEPUTY Prime Minister and Member for New England Barnaby Joyce has long maintained the new Dungowan Dam is for and supported by the people of Tamworth, but now some of those people have put pen to paper against the project.
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In a 16 page document, which was sent to the state's Shadow Minister for Water Rose Jackson, they have said 'no' to the near $1.3 billion project, and argued there are a number of less costly, more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
The benefit-cost ratio, estimated in a 2017 feasibility study, also has shortcomings according to the group.
"The benefit-cost ratio of 1.06 is marginal and contingent on optimistic assumptions (such as the willingness of Tamworth residents to pay for fewer water restrictions)," the document stated.
"Any further increases in construction cost would likely result in the project becoming unviable."
Alternatives to the dam were also mentioned by the group, with recycled waste water and improving the efficiency with which water reaches irrigated crops, among the possibilities.
But Mr Joyce is having none of it.
He said there will always be opposition to major projects, and sometimes it's the role of government to push ahead with them, regardless.
"There is no decision where you are going to get 100 per cent [support], but in politics you have to actually make decisions or you go nowhere," he said.
"Unfortunately, if you take in every concern on the Inland Rail - we'll never build it, if you take into concern every issue in defence - we wouldn't have an army, if you take into concern every issue about the construction of a hospital - none would ever get built."
Ms Jackson said it was extraordinary the government hadn't put more effort into some of the alternative options.
"Local Tamworth residents who are concerned about the project have been able to put together, I think, a range of really thoughtful and well-considered options," she said.
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"We've had a parliamentary inquiry, it also put forward a range of alternative options and asked the government to look at them."
"We know if the government was willing to get serious and engage with experts, that they could really come up with some pretty effective alternative options."
"It's such a shame that [NSW Minister for Water] Kevin Anderson and Barnaby Joyce are so headstrong and blinkered and blinded that they're refusing to even consider any of these other alternatives."
Mr Joyce said he had looked at a number of alternatives, but couldn't find an option that would work better than the dam.
He said in order to recycle water there must be water to recycle, which is problematic during a drought. He also said supporting the widespread use of it could be political suicide for Tamworth's council.
"There's a huge political issue that I've seen before in Toowoomba, where you talk about using recycled water for potable use as drinking water at houses," he said.
"Even though technically it's fine, people don't like that idea and they really get angry.
"If you want to change every member of council then suggest to the people of Tamworth they're going to drink recycled water."
Mr Joyce is pushing for construction on the dam to begin before May's federal election, with Labor yet to commit to funding the project if they win power.
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