New dams a priority for Nationals leader Michael McCormack

Michael McCormack wants to be the Nationals leader who ‘builds dams’ after years of procrastination by various governments.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack. Picture: AAP

Michael McCormack wants to be the Nationals leader who “builds dams” after years of promises from successive Coalition governments and will urge the National Water Grid Authority to identify new projects across Australia.

In an interview with The Weekend Australian, the Deputy Prime Minister said he had seen a shift in sentiment from “city ­people” and believed that there was now momentum for a major expansion of Australia’s water ­security network.

The federal Infrastructure Minister said although there were some water infrastructure projects under way, including Queensland’s Emu Swamp Dam and planning for a new dam at Dungowan in NSW, he wanted the National Water Grid Authority to “identify a new dam”.

“Something that’s exciting, something that may not necessarily be on a priority list of a state but, you know what, it’s going to ensure that we get through some of the difficulties of the Murray-Darling, for instance,” Mr McCormack said.

Citing the pitfalls of cultural, political and red-tape issues that have held back new dam projects, Mr McCormack said he had had “frank and unfiltered conver­sations” with his state counterparts. “They know I’m serious and we need to get on with the job,” he said.

The Nationals leader, who fought off a leadership challenge from Barnaby Joyce in February, said he believed the public mood towards new dams had changed.

“When I used to go as the small business minister and talk to chambers of commerce in capital cities and talk about water infrastructure, they’d just glaze over.

“These days, not only do I get appreciative nods, and nods of recognition that this bloke’s talking what we need to be hearing … you’ll get loud applause either through the speech or at the end.

“Because city people get it. And if city people get it — the states have got to come on board with us. I’ve said I want to be the National Party leader responsible for building dams.”

He said he wanted to see excavators on the ground at Emu Swamp by October and described the project as a “catalyst” for the states to take him “seriously”.

Conceding major dam projects take years to deliver, Mr McCormack said although there were challenges, delivering new water infrastructure “also provides its own set of opportunities”.

“Since 2003, 16 of the last 20 dam projects have actually happened in, believe it or not, Tasmania — the state of the Franklin protests,” he said.

If Tasmania could get it done, other states should “conserve, harness and harvest water a lot more”.

Mr McCormack said he hoped Queensland Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington, who has pledged to deliver a New Bradfield Scheme, gets “across the line” in the state’s October election. He expressed frustration about the Rookwood Weir project in Queensland and described the Paradise Dam situation as an “unmitigated disaster”.

After the Morrison and Berejiklian governments agreed on a $1bn package to upgrade and build new dams, Mr McCormack said he was working closely with his NSW counterpart, John Barilaro, on “making something happen this year”.

The Wyangala dam near ­Forbes and Cowra will have its wall raised by 10m, and the Dungowan dam, near Tamworth, would be the first new dam in NSW for more than 30 years.

Mr McCormack said he hoped there was a change of government in Victoria at the next state election after the Andrews government ruled out building new dams.