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Farmers, politicians and scientists at Australia’s top universities are calling on the government to abandon major dam projects in New South Wales (NSW) due to serious environmental and economic implications.
Jamie Pitok, a professor at the Australian National University (ANU), said at a Lachlan meeting Wednesday that dam proposals, including the expansion of the Wyangara Dam near Cowra and the construction of the Dangowan Dam near Tamworth, are wasting taxpayers’ money. ..
“The proposal to build the Wyangara Dam is an example of why these dam construction projects are crazy. It was proposed without a business case,” he teaches at the Fenner School of Environmental and Social Studies, specializing in water policy. Mr. Pitok told AAP.
“There are better ways to reduce the risk of floods and better ways to secure water for agriculture.”
Joining the professor is a farmer in the Midwestern New South Wales, warning of the agricultural implications of the expansion on the Lucklan River.
“The environmental impact of this project is disastrous and irreversible in our area, and the flooded areas are flooded with red gum from hundreds of rivers hundreds of years ago,” said Cowra beef and crop farmers. Kelly Webster said. Agricultural land is forcibly acquired based on the proposal.
“We are frustrated, angry, and very emotional … we are completely confused,” she told the meeting on Tuesday, saying her family had not been consulted.
Dam suitable for flood management
Mary Ewing, head of the Lachlan Valley Water Group, who advocated the expansion, promised at the meeting that all business cases must be thorough.
“We know we need to carry out business cases. We need to do an environmental impact assessment,” she said.
According to an early study, Tom Green, Forbes farmer and chairman of the Lachlan Valley Water Group, said raising the walls of the dam would be beneficial.
“We believe this project has shown to be very effective in both flood management and water security,” he told AAP.
Echoing Green is the mayor of Forbes, Cowra and La Cranshire.
“For those who say that raising walls and flooding the dam’s catchment area is an environmental problem, let us see what the flood does,” said Forbes Mayor Philis Miller.
Treasury Minister Damian Todehope, Prime Minister of the House of Councilors Condemned for failing to create a business case For two dam projects.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Tamworth Mark Roda had previously suspected the cost of Dango Wandam. Reached $ 1.28 billionThree times the initial budget of $ 480 million.
“It’s probably cheaper for Tamworth people to take a shower with bottled water than to buy water from the new dam,” he says. Said Guardian.
The Environmental Impact Statement for the Wyangaladam Project will be released after August, but the first phase of the Dango One Dam pipeline has already begun.
AAP contributed to this report.
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