Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall at Malpas Dam, which could soon meet all of Guyra’s future water needs.
Monday, 29 May 2017
THERE’S hope for Guyra residents pushing for a permanent fix to the town’s water supply and quality issues water, with Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall taking up the fight for a solution on the floor of the NSW Parliament last week.
Addressing the Legislative Assembly, Mr Marshall said that the construction of a new water pipeline and associated pumping infrastructure between Malpas Dam and Guyra was the best option to permanently prevent water shortages in Guyra, improve water quality and provide plenty of capacity for the community to continue to grow and attract further industry and horticultural developments.
“At my request, Armidale Regional Council has worked with the Department of Primary Industries to assess all the options and developed a business case presenting the pipeline as the preferred option,” Mr Marshall said, pledging his support for the project.
“Already I have had meetings with the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Regional Water to advocate for this proposal to be fully funded by the government.
“I will be working very hard with the local community and Armidale Regional Council to continue to push the proposal, which is a permanent solution and will unlock the potential the community has to grow, develop, create extra jobs, attract new industry and have a reliable, permanent potable water supply.”
Speaking today, Mr Marshall said the pipeline option had a price tag of around $9 million and was essential to the economic development of Guyra and the broader region.
“If we are to support Guyra’s growth in the future – both as a town that offers outstanding lifestyle benefits to residents, and as a hub for industrial development – we need to make sure that water is readily accessible at all times,” he said.
“A pipeline from Malpas Dam to Guyra has now been confined as the best and most cost-effective option. Council has worked out that this will meet the community’s needs for decades.
“This will not only help the community avoid future water shortages – like the full year of severe restrictions in 2014 – but it will bolster employment in the horticultural industry, which currently employs 600 people in Guyra.
“I will continue to fight for the community, and ensure this project goes ahead.”
The proposed pipeline will be some 15 kilometres long, stretching between Guyra and Malpas Dam to the town’s south. It will be able to deliver 24 litres per second, for a total of 2.1 megalitres per day.
This will increase total ‘safe yield’ – the maximum amount of water extractable from any water source – to 741 megalitres per year.
Armidale Regional Council’s Group Leader of Service Delivery Mark Piorkowski said that at the request of Mr Marshall, council had undertaken extensive planning for the project.
“The beauty of the pipeline is it will allow the Armidale Region to take advantage of its location – in terms of the coolness of its climate and regular sunlight – we can leverage those benefits by implementing the pipeline,” Mr Piorkowski said.
“This is a quality project that will future proof our community and is well worth investing in. Horticulture is one of the growth areas for Australia, and we want to be on the forefront – this project will help us achieve that.
“Council strongly supports Adam’s lobbying efforts on behalf of the local community.”