Dam raising project to be assessed as state significant infrastructure

Thursday 12 July 2018

Council has achieved a significant milestone towards augmenting the shire’s water supply by applying to the NSW Government for the environmental planning assessment requirements for raising the wall of Clarrie Hall Dam.

The Department of Planning and Environment accepted Council’s application for approval to proceed with the project as State Significant Infrastructure and will be issuing the criteria against which the project will be assessed.

Council lodged a Preliminary Environmental Assessment report with the Department, which summarises the justification, scope of works and potential environmental and social impacts of the project. This information is required by the State Government to develop the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements or SEARs (also referred to as the Environmental Impact Statement requirements). The assessment report can be found in the Document Library at https://www.yoursaytweed.com.au/ClarrieHallDam.

In its application Council advised the State Government there was a requirement to augment the water supply by 2026.

“Option studies have consistently shown that raising Clarrie Hall Dam is the preferred option to increase the shire’s water supply,” Council Project Manager Robert Siebert said of the application.

Council proposes to raise the dam wall by 8.5 metres, substantially increasing the dam’s capacity to 42,300 megalitres and securing an adequate water supply for the shire to approximately 2046.

The project may also need approval from the Commonwealth Government for impacts to Commonwealth protected flora and fauna.

The Flora and Fauna Assessment undertaken by Council as part of project planning has identified that several Commonwealth threatened species would be affected by the raising of the dam, including the Giant Barred Frog (Mixophyes iteratus),the Red Lilly Pilly (Syzygium hodgkinsoniae) and a patch of lowland rainforest.

Council will now work with the NSW and Commonwealth governments to develop strategies to avoid and minimise impacts on these and other environmental values in the area.

Council also is establishing vegetation restoration trial sites for the revegetation of the land it purchases for the raising of the dam and is working with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust to ensure these restoration sites are managed in accordance with new biodiversity legislation.

The initial Archaeological Assessment and Aboriginal Cultural Assessment for the project has been completed and that report can be found in the Document Library at https://www.yoursaytweed.com.au/ClarrieHallDam.

Environmental Flow studies are continuing.

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