LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Orange-to-Carcoar pipeline no drought-proofing measure

But it was disappointing to hear the work is going to drought-proof the region, as this is not the case at all. There are definitely benefits for emergency situations in Orange, Blayney and the Central Tablelands, but with the existing water storages servicing these supplies, the just-commissioned pipeline will not drought-proof our communities.

The current weather pattern, for example, has reduced Orange's recently upgraded and increased water storage from over 100 per cent in the middle of 2016 to less than 50 per cent now.

With another year’s rainfall like the last two years will see the storage fall to less than 30 per cent by the end of this year.

Storm water harvesting and the Macquarie pipeline are assisting input water to the Orange supply, but the environmental and flow restrictions for both schemes place limiting benefits. In any case, these initiatives will not be able to supply Orange in the event of storage falling to zero per cent.

Other supplies in the area are also falling. Bathurst’s Chifley Dam is down to about 50 per cent, Molong Dam is at an all-time low of around 50 per cent, and there is now another new pipeline linking Molong and Orange’s water supply to the villages of Cumnock and Yeoval.

MAP: Where is Carcoar Dam …

This pipeline is yet to be commissioned, but when brought online there will be an increased drain on the existing water storages.

Again, it is pleasing to see a network of water supply pipelines developing in our region, but to secure drought-proofing for stock, domestic and commercial water supply in our region, this developing network needs to be connected to large storages.

In our area these are Wyangla and Burrendong dams. Certainly, these storages reach critically low levels, but it should be noted that of total water extractions from such dams and streams, something less than 5 per cent per year is used by urban communities.

The NSW government needs to follow the Victorian example where in the drier western part of the state some $600 million was spent on building the Grampian Water Supply to drought-proof that region.

I can see far better benefit for the current and future development of this region and the state if Sydney sports stadium development money was invested in a similar scheme here.

Included in this proposal would be piping the water from Chifley Dam to Bathurst rather than running losses in the river delivery.