Barbs traded over Warragamba Dam plan

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has defended the $690 million plan to raise Warragamba Dam by 14 metres as criticism flows over its potential to ‘damage’ World Heritage sites.

BOTH sides of politics are trading barbs about a $690 million plan to raise Warragamba Dam by 14m.

Hawkesbury State Liberal MP Dominic Perrottet defended a move to raise the wall, saying it would secure a safe future for residents in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley — NSW’s most vulnerable flood plain.

“This project will protect the people, their homes and the region’s important infrastructure from major flood events,” he said.

Warragamba Dam overflows. Picture: Supplied

Mr Perrottet said raising the wall was the “cornerstone” of the State Government’s flood strategy.

The comments came after former Blue Mountains Labor MP Bob Debus said the State Government’s approach was “absurd” and would not properly mitigate all flood risks.

“The prospectus assumes that a lot more homes are going to be built in the flood plain, which I believe is quite inappropriate,” he said.

“It seems to assume that it will stop floods. But floods don’t just come from Warragamba.”

The dam wall would be raised to ‘protect people’ from catastrophic floods.

Mr Debus, who twice served as NSW environment minister, said it would also put 5000ha of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area at risk of “serious damage” in periods of flood.

“The government didn’t hint at the damage that could be caused in the heritage area,” he said.

Infrastructure NSW predicts the number of dwellings in the flood plain will double in 30 years.

It’s believed raising the dam wall could lead to rezoning within areas in the flood plain, and could raise property values.

Details: http://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/expert-advice/hawkesbury-nepean-flood-risk-management-strategy/