[Greens-Media] Media release: Science should be allowed to end Byrrill Creek dam

[John Kaye]

Science should be allowed to end Byrrill Creek dam

Media release: 4 December 2015

Greens NSW MP John Kaye has called on NSW Water Minister Niall Blair to end the Byrrill Creek controversy and make sure that water decisions in the Tweed are based on scientific evidence.

Dr Kaye said: "Moves on Tweed Council to rescind the twenty year moratorium on a dam on Byrrill Creek ignore the realities on modern water planning.

"Building a dam like Byrrill Creek or raising the wall at Clarrie Hall should be the very last options.

"They should only be considered after much cheaper and more effective measures like water efficiency, recycling and tanks have been entirely exhausted.

"Dams are more expensive and less reliable than most of the other options that have much lower environmental impacts.

"This is the twenty-first century. Knee-jerk reactions like building dams will impose long-term costs on Tweed residents and provide, at best, second rate water security.

"If this is about dealing with the impacts of climate change and population growth, then relying on dams will make the Tweed even more vulnerable to extreme drought.

"Recycling and efficiency have proven to provide a more robust defence against the long dry periods and they can be scaled up as the number of housing units increase.

"A viable option for the Tweed would be a far more intensive water efficiency and recycling effort. The existing programs are too small in scope and depth.

"This is a test for Water Minister Niall Blair.

"He's a member of the Nationals but he must rise above the outdated prejudices of some in his party.

"The 2010 Water Sharing Plan ruled out a dam on Byrrill Creek for very good reasons.

"This is a world-heritage listed area and a biodiversity-intense asset that should be protected for its natural values.

"It is still in force, so Tweed Council can only go ahead with Byrrill Creek if Minister Blair and the Baird government agree to amend the plan.

"Mr Blair should at the very least bring in independent consultants to assess other options apart from Byrrill Creek and raising Clarrie Hall before any more effort is squandered on chasing last-century engineering works.

"Even if he is not moved by the 71 endangered species that would be pushed closer to extinction, Minister Blair should ensure that the Tweed is getting the cheapest and most secure water supply.

"That means basing decisions on scientific evidence, not political prejudice.

"Tweed Council is wasting time on re-opening a debate that was concluded almost four years ago.

"The Tweed community deserves the support of a Water Minister who will protect household budgets and the unique environment by focusing the debate away from dams and onto the scientific evidence," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Background

Tweed Council recently commissioned a staff report into water supply augmentation options for the area's future. The report is available here: http://j.mp/TweedCouncilWaterReport2015 (page 129).

The report recommends the raising of the wall of Clarrie Hall Dam as the most cost effective and best long-term solution among the options considered. The maximum capital expenditure for the Clarrie Hall works was estimated to be $55.22 million and would supply water to the area until 2046.

Building a large dam at Byrrill Creek was considered the most expensive option with maximum capital works estimated to be around $105.26 million with a water supply until 2044.

These figures do not include the costs involved in the exploration, analysis or protection of the animal species, environmental habitats and cultural heritage that exist in the World Heritage listed areas around the proposed Byrrill Creek dam.

John Kaye
Greens NSW MP

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Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

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