Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, left, met with Primary Industries and Water Minister Niall Blair in Parliament yesterday to press the case for a water supply for Biniguy.
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
WITH Parliament resuming this week for the first time in 2016, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has put a case to the State Government for almost $4 million in funding to secure a permanent potable water supply for the Biniguy community, in the east of the Moree Plains Shire.
Mr Marshall met with Primary Industries and Water Minister Niall Blair yesterday to press the case for funding for the project under the government’s Water Security for the Regions program. The MP said that Moree Plains Shire Council had put together an impressive application to complete the much-needed water project.
“Biniguy currently has no reticulated potable water supply or infrastructure,” Mr Marshall said. “The township’s residents rely solely on rainwater tanks and a few private groundwater bores for their drinking and household water.
“This provides a very low level of security of supply for the community and makes it very susceptible to water quality issues such as contamination from the ageing septic systems.
“Council has had plans to rectify this situation, but given the scale of the project, requires significant state government support.”
Mr Marshall said that the $3.96 million project he was lobbying for involved the construction of an 11.5 kilometre water pipeline from Pallamallawa to Biniguy to provide a high quality and dependable drinkable water.
“As a result, the existing water supply treatment facility in Pallamallawa will also be upgraded and a new transfer pump and bolster chlorination facility constructed,” he said.
“At Biniguy, a new and elevated water reservoir will be built, as well as reticulation mains, to enable each dwelling to be connected to the new water supply.”
Mr Marshall said he was seeking funding for the total cost of the project from the government.
“I received a very good hearing from the Minister – he clearly understood the importance of providing a secure and high quality water supply to the Biniguy community.
“I commend Moree Plains Shire Council on working up this solution to a long-standing issue that we can no longer ignore.
“Council cannot complete this project without this funding and I’ll continue to press the Minister and the government until a proper water supply for Biniguy is achieved.”