NSW Premier gets green light to raise Warragamba Dam walls

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has discussed raising the Warragamba Dam and evaluated Labor’s flood recovery plan while in Japan.

Warragamba Dam spilling flood waters over its wall in March.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has committed to raising the Warragamba Dam while visiting Japan, as well as criticising Labor’s flood recovery proposal.

During a visit to Tokyo’s underground flood management system, Mr Perrottet compared Japan’s flood mitigation with that of NSW.

“What the Japanese have done is world-leading but when it comes to the issues we face in NSW, we would need 400 times the size of this to deal with the last flooding event we had,” Mr Perrottet said.

“That gives you an understanding and appreciation down there of the substantial challenge that’s in front of us.

“There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach here to solve the flood issues in our state and across the country. We need to look at a range of measures. Raising the Warragamba Dam will provide incredible support to reduce flooding downstream.”

The strategy was recommended by WaterNSW in 2017 in order to reduce the risk of flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, but has remained a hotly contested issue.

“I understand that there are complex environmental and planning issues alongside it and that’s why it’s taken a fair bit of time,” Mr Perrottet said.

“But the work that we put together today, we submitted to the federal government and Infrastructure Australia, and I’m very confident that Infrastructure NSW and Infrastructure Australia will be able to put something together.”

When asked of possible government land buybacks, particularly in flood-affected areas, he said “everything is on the table”.

“I expect to get the flood inquiry by the end of the month,” Mr Perrottet said.

“It’s an extensive review, and it doesn’t just deal with immediate response.

“Not only are we looking at immediate response, not only are we looking at flood mitigation, we’re looking at planning. It might be expensive, but it’s expensive every time a flood event comes as well.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet surveyed the floods in a chopper with Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke. Picture: David Swift

Mr Perrottet also slammed Labor’s newly unveiled Western Sydney Flood Resilience Plan, which involves building levees in Pitt Town, McGraths Hill and Peach Tree Creek near the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, along with $200m for upgrading critical evacuation roads in flood zones.

“You can’t deal with these issues in relation to floods in a one-out manner as we saw from Labor today,” he said.

“You come out with investment in levees, all that does is move water from one place to another. You talk about reducing the level of Warragamba, that then creates other challenges in relation to drought. ”