After years of frustrating delays progress could finally be achieved soon on the amplification of the Clarence water transfer scheme, thanks to a significant allocation in this week’s Federal Budget.
The scheme has been mooted for some considerable time as a means of helping to drought proof Delta’s two local power stations and boost the inflow to Lake Lyell from the Farmers Creek system.
The source of the project is the huge volume of underground water pumped from the Clarence Colliery.
Lithgow Council has for years been utilising part of this Clarence water for the city area, processing it through an award winning treatment plant at Oakey Park.
This has been so successful that Lithgow has rarely had water shortages.
But only portion of the Clarence water has been utilised.
The remainder has been allowed to flow in the opposite direction through the Wollangambe Wilderness towards the Colo River catchment.
That has brought complaints from lobby groups and government agencies who have described the flow in that area as environmentally damaging.
Some years ago the then Utilities Minister Frank Sartor came to Lithgow to meet with various stakeholders and announced that agreement had been reached on diverting all of the water into the Farmers Creek system.
Mr Sartor said it was a win/win situation for all concerned — for Council, for Delta, for Lake Lyell recreational users, and for the Sydney water catchment further downstream in the Coxs River.
But nothing happened and the Minister subsequently refused to be drawn on any time frame for implementing the stalled scheme.
Throughout the drought years the easterly flowing water continued to flow to waste, even though the State Government had provided some funding in its budget three years ago.
Frustrated at waiting for Delta to approve the additional funding Council decided on a go it alone scheme with an arrangement in place to supply the water to Delta.
Now with the allocation of $4 million towards the infrastructure costs announced by Federal Member Bob Debus from this year’s budget the work is finally set to get under way.
Council General Manager Paul Anderson said yesterday Council was in the process of finalising a deed with the federal authorities.
Once this was signed off Council could finally move towards seeking contracts for the work.
He said it was anticipated that the transfer scheme will be finalised by next year.