Community Says Stop The Dam, And Start Water Efficiency

Media release – Tuesday 8 September

A newly-formed alliance, WATER Northern Rivers presented hundreds of submissions objecting to the Dunoon dam at Rous County Council today. These hard-copy objections are in addition to those presented to Rous online.

A new report from Professor Stuart White (UTS, Sydney) says that the costly dam is unnecessary, and that it would increase the cost of water significantly, and run the risk of creating a very expensive ‘white elephant’.

It would also waste an opportunity to support employment in the region. Further, Professor White’s report says that the Rous assessment process failed to adequately analyse and cost investment in water efficiency, and that it incorrectly applied the concept of marginal cost in comparing options.

Spokesperson for WATER Northern Rivers, Annie Kia, said “In view of this report, we call on Rous County Council to stop promoting the dam, and to adopt a management approach that values water at every part of its journey”

This dam is destructive all round. It would obliterate Aboriginal Heritage. It would drown exceptionally rare rainforests. And with its eye-watering price-tag of $240 million dollars, it would increase the cost of water to consumers and industry.

21st century water is about a suite of options: water efficiency; water harvesting (rain tanks, urban run-off); and water re-use. We need local councils to adopt policies that optimise water, instead of wasting it.  

By sinking all our resources into a costly dam, we can kiss goodbye to the smart water options that would make our system fit for the 21st century. This would be a huge price to pay for reaching back to last-century thinking.”

*Professor White’s report is online as a brief summary, and slide presentation.