The Tamworth Water Security Alliance will meet with the Minister for Lands and Water on the morning of February 21 to discuss Tamworth's water supply, nearly four months after their initial request.
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Alliance member Graham Carter said he's looking forward to working with Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson, but has been unimpressed with the government's approach to community engagement.
"Just like the promise for the [Dungowan] Dam, it's dragging' on. It's never gonna happen," Mr Carter said.
The group has long been calling for the government to consider "cheaper and faster" solutions to run alongside the $1.3 billion dam upgrades, including a plan from the Tamworth Regional Council for a water purification plant.
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The saga to secure a meeting with the water minister started with a public forum attended by more than 90 people, an event promoted by Mr Anderson's office and attended by one of his staff, to discuss possible water security initiatives.
The group then hand-delivered a letter to Mr Anderson's office on October 26, seeking a meeting "at [his] earliest convenience".
After two weeks with no response, the group sent a further email to Mr Anderson's office asking for a reply.
A month after their second request, the Alliance received a response Mr Carter said was "beggars belief".
"We couldn't understand the response that came from Kevin's office. We had a good working relationship with Kevin's office and staff, and it was a total surprise that the response we received from his office told us that he was too busy to meet with us," Mr Carter said.
However, Mr Anderson's office did eventually arrange to meet with the Alliance in early February, initially setting the date for February 15 before pushing it back again to February 21.
After being reached for comment, a spokesman for Mr Anderson's ministerial office said they maintain a great relationship with the Alliance, that the office has tried to accommodate the Alliance by offering weekend meetings, and that Mr Anderson is "committed to getting the desired result everyone wants".
Mr Carter also said the Alliance has a great working relationship with its local MP, but that in this instance, they were "very disappointed" with the process they had to go through to secure a meeting with the Minister for Water.
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Jonathan Hawes
Originally from Austin, TX. "I wasn't born in Tamworth but I got here as soon as I could!" Jonathan covers a little bit of everything, but his main priorities are Tamworth Regional Council, Business, and Property. Send story tips to Jonathan via jonathan.hawes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Originally from Austin, TX. "I wasn't born in Tamworth but I got here as soon as I could!" Jonathan covers a little bit of everything, but his main priorities are Tamworth Regional Council, Business, and Property. Send story tips to Jonathan via jonathan.hawes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
