Govt papers to expose dam proposal
The NSW Upper House today passed a Greens’ motion to subpoena correspondence between Hunter Water and the NSW government leading to the decision to go ahead with the construction of the Tillegra dam in the Upper Hunter near Dungog. Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: “These papers should once and for all explain the sudden change in heart from the Hunter Water Corporation. In the heat of a state election campaign, then Premier Iemma announced the decision in mid November. In a matter of hours the proposal went from being one of the most expensive and unneeded water supply options for the Lower Hunter to become the must-have dam for both drought relief and population growth.”
Since then neither Hunter Water nor successive NSW water ministers Nathan Rees and Phil Costa have been able to explain what changed.
The papers will enable the community to explore the suggestion that the 13 November 2006 announcement was designed to distract media and public attention from the charging of former Aboriginal Affairs Minister Milton Orkopoulos with child sex offences some seven days earlier.
They will also shine a light on the role of supply to the Central Coast, which was at the time in the grip of a severe drought. However with the construction of the Mardi to Mangrove pipeline and subsequent rain, Gosford and Wyong Shires water is secured for years to come.
The NSW government is being brought to account for the spectacular waste of government money. The papers will give a powerful boost to the argument that the proposal should be abandoned.
The motion to release the papers was successful after effective and intelligent lobbying by the Tillegra community and other opponents of the dam. The Coalition, the Shooters Party and Christian Democrat Gordon Moyes joined with the Greens to support the release of the documents.
“The papers will be available on 17 December,” Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455