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Selective Figures Won’t Convince Voters on the Need for the Proposed Tillegra Dam
Kevin Young, General Manager of Hunter Water, has continued to treat the ratepayers of the Hunter with contempt with his release (NH, April 3, $1.2 billion to flow in Tillegra booster) of a few projections from a Monash University study into the economic benefits of the proposed Tillegra Dam.
“This is typical spruiking by the CEO of Hunter Water”, Sally Corbett, Chair, No Tillegra Dam Group, stated. “ Mr Young has released only limited information from this study. No one else has seen these figures. With studies, there is generally a balance of data and information. It is interesting to note that none of the negative impacts of the proposed dam have been reported here. Perhaps a study should be conducted into the other side of the equation, including the real costs of the Tillegra proposal, the effects on the Hunter economy over years of increased water bills, the losses of primary production, the cost of increased greenhouse gases and the impact on the environment. We have been asking Hunter Water to conduct a full Benefit Cost Analysis for this proposal and they have ignored our requests.”
The study has not been shown to the Tillegra Dam Community Reference Group (TDCRG), or the Dungog Councillors for comment. Linda Bowden, community representative for hundreds of residents living below the dam stated, “ Kevin Young has continued his secretive behaviour. It is common practice for Mr Young to release information to the media before it has been discussed at The TDCRG. This allows him to be selective with who knows what. It also demonstrates that he thinks that the Reference Group is only there to share sandwiches and a cup of tea.”
“All recent information that we have demonstrates that the ratepayers of the Hunter want this proposed dam shelved’ Ms Corbett stated. ‘ We were invited to have a stall at the recent Newcastle Show and conducted our own poll, because Hunter Water has refused to consult with the public in this way. Hundreds of Novocastrians supplied information based on: knowledge of the $477 million proposal, need, environmental impacts, costs and alternative strategies. It is clear that this will have a major impact on voters in the Hunter. Hunter residents do not want to pay a potential 57% plus water rate increase for this unnecessary infrastructure with already 13,000 Hunter ratepayers on partial payments to meet their water rate obligations. Hunter Residents want money to go to essential services like health, education and transport and consider there are better ways to manage water security in the Hunter.”
“You have got to ask what these figures have been based on and whether other dams of a similar nature have had this economic spin off. Were the authors of this study cognizant of the geographic location of this dam and the fact that it would be competing against other water based tourist locations within the Hunter region?”
“We already know that only six long term jobs will flow from this proposal. The other jobs will be for the short term, and create long term problems for the local community and region.” Ms Corbett concluded.
Sally Corbett, No Tillegra Dam
Spokesperson: Linda Bowden 49959200