Dunoon dam’s inclusion in Rous County Council plan sparks protest

A long-running battle over a controversial dam project has been reignited by a move that sparked a protest in front of the region’s water authority.

Benny Zable, Terri Nicholson and Emily Coleing (in a koala suit) protest the reintroduction of Dunoon dam as a future water option for Rous County Council.

The possibility of Dunoon dam being brought back as a future water option for the Lismore region has reignited protesters who have long fought against the project.

Community organisations along with elders and family of the Widjabul Wia-bal people met outside Rous County Council in Lismore on Wednesday to protest a motion put forward by Lismore City councillor Big Rob.

Mr Rob, who is one of Lismore’s representatives on Rous County Council, is seeking to include the Dunoon dam as part of the Future Water Project plan.

He said the purpose of the motion, which was carried at Rous County Council’s meeting, was not to build a dam but to look at the options to determine whether or not it would be a suitable option.

He said there had been incomplete studies and in order to complete them it could take up to another two years.

“Nothing to do with anything else and if the answer comes back no, then it’s going to be no,” Mr Rob said. 

He said Rous needed to look at the dam as well as all other options.

“You can’t just say no to one and yes to the others because we’re going to have problems with any one of those options,” he said.

“Everything has a cultural and environmental issue attached to it and none of those options are 100 per cent going to happen.

“We have to study all of them and decide which ones we can go ahead with.”

But Water Northern Rivers Alliance representative Hugh Nicholson said he made it clear to Rous County Council a decade ago that the dam should be left “off the table” for environmental, cultural and heritage reasons.

Protesting a motion to put the Dunoon Dam back on the table are (from top) Benny Zable, Ross Irvin, Hugh Nicholson and Skye Roberts

He said the new Lismore council was trying to push the dam back onto the table.

“Rous was moving ahead, they’ve employed more people to get on the job of alternatives – let them get on with it,” Mr Nicholson said.

Widjabul Wia-bal representative Skye Roberts said putting in dams was not beneficial for her people or the environment.

“I feel in order to progress and move forward we need to be smarter and make better decisions as a country,” Mrs Roberts said.

Studies including a cultural, heritage and environmental report are set to be completed on the proposal as a result of Mr Rob’s motion.

“To not consider the biggest option is ludicrous and irresponsible, and I think what we have done as a group is good,” Mr Rob said.

“It may upset a lot of people but they’re going to misunderstand it unless they read it, we’re not building the dam – we’re just investigating thoroughly, all issues relating to the dam and that will come back to a decision and at that point we will have a lot more information.”