Three projects in the Snowy Valleys, including water treatment facility upgrades, are one step closer to being tender ready with joint funding from the New South Wales Government and local councils.
The New South Wales Safe and Secure Water Program funding includes $480,000, with more than $530,000 from Snowy Valleys Council to deliver an options study and concept design looking at ways to secure Tumbarumba’s water supply.
There is also a further $300,000 from the New South Wales Government and more than $330,000 from the council to complete similar work at Batlow reviewing the options which includes exploring a 50ML water storage increase to Kunama Dam on Little Gilmore Creek to increase supply, particularly during droughts when the town is most at-risk.
Additionally, $360,000 from the New South Wales Government and more than $380,000 from the council is expected to progress the upgrade of the existing water treatment facility at Khancoban to tender ready stage. The project aims to ensure water quality remains stable even when the system is under pressure during peak tourism seasons when the town’s population can increase from 300 to 2,000.
The work is expected to be complete in mid-2024.
New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Executive Director Infrastructure Development, Lisa Hingerty, said, “The New South Wales Government is committed to helping to drought-proof regional parts of the state and the Snowy Valleys area is no different, which is why we’re injecting more than $1 million from our Safe and Secure Water Program to bring these projects a step closer to fruition.
“Access to clean and reliable water is a basic human right and we know there is growing pressure on the existing water infrastructure in the Snowy Valleys as a popular place to live and visit.
“It’s vital that we get this development stage of the projects right including all the appropriate checks and balances to ensure taxpayers are getting the best bang for their buck and that council is in a stronger position to proceed to the next phase.”
Mayor of Snowy Valley Council, Ian Chaffey, said, “It’s great to see this partnership between state and local government gaining momentum because doing the grunt work now will help lock in water security for Tumbarumba, Batlow and Khancoban for tomorrow.
“We live in one of the most scenic parts of New South Wales and we want to ensure the water coming from our pristine rivers is treated to the highest possible standards and can continue to service our community for decades to come.”
Image credit: Vicki Cain/Shutterstock.com.
