This slight rise in the dam level can also be attributed to the fact that, since late May this year, Delta Electricity has been supplied nearly exclusively from Duckmaloi Weir, and therefore has rarely been drawing on the Oberon dam supply during winter.

Councillor Bob O'Bernier is concerned that if rainfall continues to be sparse, the Duckmaloi Weir will no longer be able to supply Delta.He is worried that as a result Oberon Dam will be called on again to provide the power station's huge water needs.

Councillor O'Bernier told last week's council meeting that the weir has been supplying around eight and half megalitres per day.

“But if this weather keeps up, there will be no inflow, and we will have to go back to dam use,” he said.

Mayor Keith Sullivan said that the serious issue of future water allocation needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, and that council will meeting the Member for Bathurst, Gerard Martin, early next month to discuss the water situation.

“The water issue is right back on the agenda,” he said.

Pine plantations in the dam's catchment area are again being blamed for the poor run-off into the dam.

Councillor John McMahon said that the pines have a huge detrimental impact on the run-off into the dam.

He said this was evident when there is good local rain and yet little run-off into the dam.

“We would need an enormous amount of rain to get good run-off into the dam,” he said, “We are facing a pretty bleak future.”

Councillor Sullivan said that there is talk of not replanting the catchment area once the current forests there are harvested.