Water trading plan to secure water for Manilla

Tamworth Regional Council will seek to temporarily trade 85 Megalitres of water from its Upper Namoi Regulated River Source licence used to supply water to Barraba to the licence that provides water from the same source for Manilla.

Councillors at last night’s Ordinary Meeting agreed to the move to provide further water from Split Rock Dam to meet Manilla’s demand for water under Level 3 Restrictions.

They also decided to seek a meeting with the new State Minister for Water, the Natural Resource Access Regulator and/or Water NSW to discuss Council’s concerns about water supplies to its communities.

Whilst the 85 Megalitre trade between two of Council’s existing licenses will help, further water - estimated to be another 100 Megalitres - will be required to supply Manilla’s requirements through to the end of the 2018-19 water year. 

Tamworth Regional Council Director Water and Waste, Bruce Logan, said Council has been accessing Manilla River water for some time and there is a concern that more water will be required than Council’s current 150 Megalitre per year entitlement..   

“Staff first raised the need for a larger entitlement in the Manilla River and a corresponding reduction in Council’s entitlement in the Namoi with the relevant NSW Government agency some four years ago, however there has been very little progress on this matter,” he said.

“Staff have been in regular contact with the NSW Natural Resource Access Regulator (which administers water licencing) and its advice is for Council to look at acquiring further allocation through temporary trading water in the Upper Namoi Regular Water Source.”

Advice from a water broker suggests that Council could successfully temporarily purchase 100 ML of water entitlement in this Upper Namoi for between $300 and $400 per Megalitre. The purchase of the water will be funded from the Water Reserve.

Acting Mayor Phil Betts said it is “disappointing” that Council finds itself in this position despite first raising concerns about the 150 Megalitre allocation being too little back as far as 2014.

“Councillors last night agreed this and other water related matters needed to be urgently raised with the relevant State Government Minister,” Councillor Betts said.

The issue emerged during discussion of a Water Restrictions Update report which gave an overview of the water supply situation in each area of the Region.