Call for consultation
As Hunter Water reassured Dungog that a thorough impact study was being prepared, some community members were outraged about the Tillegra dam proposal. Businessman Doug Boorer of Boorer’s Engineering has criticised Hunter Water for its lack of consultation, transparency and accountability.
“For a start they need to be more open with what they’re doing”, he said.
“They need to come up to the community and say ‘we’re going to do this for you and this is when we’ll start and this is when it will be completed’.
“They’re doing nothing, never have.” Mr Boorer is concerned about the figures produced by the economic development tourism sub-committe, as well as what he said was a lack of assistance from Hunter Water
“I don’t disagree with the figures”, he said.
“Really Hunter Water has to change its attitude towards the people.This shire is pretty tight money-wise. Money could be going into our roads instead. Since 1917 they’ve been taking the lifeblood out of the valley and they’ve put absolutely nothing back into the community. They don’t give a rat’s about this valley”.
Transcript of interview with Doug Boorer for Maitland Mercury, Monday Feb 11 2008.