The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposal to raise Clarrie Hall Dam by 8.5 metres, raising the dam wall to 70m, by Tweed Shire Council (TSC) is now on public exhibition.
The decision to increase the height of the Clarrie Hall Dam was made in 2015 and will see around 223 hectares inundated doubling its footprint and trebling the dams capacity from 16,000 megalitres (ML) to about 42,300 ML. The TSC state that this is needed by 2028 to secure the future of the Tweed water supply until 2065 under projected population growth estimates. Seventeen properties have been identified as being impacted should the proposal.
Other options considered in 2014 were raising Clarrie Hall Dam, construction of a small dam at Byrrill Creek, construction of a large dam at Byrrill Creek Dam, a staged Byrrill Creek Dam construction, pipeline to the south-east Queensland water grid and pipeline link to city of Gold Coast.
Council lodged the EIS with the NSW government’s Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure on Thursday, 19 September soon after the comprehensive report on environmental impacts was declared complete, accurate, of high quality, and easy to understand by a registered environmental assessment practitioner.
The document is now available on the NSW Planning Portal and the department is welcoming feedback on the EIS and the wider dam-raising proposal through the portal until Wednesday, 6 November 2024.
Cultural heritage
The Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment (ACHA) identified a number of objects and/or sites including stone artefact scatters, isolated stone artefacts, rock shelters, grinding grooves, restricted cultural sites, potential culturally modified trees, knapping sources, and food processing site.
‘These are all found around the proposed new full supply level, and are being explored for conservation in situ and/or archaeological recovery prior to inundation with the local Aboriginal participants,’ state the TSC in their frequently asked questions on the raising of the dam wall.
‘Consultation with First Nations peoples has informed Council the area around the location of a Byrrill Creek dam contains items and areas of significant cultural heritage, more so than the area that would be inundated by raising Clarrie Hall Dam.’
Your comments
Council’s Water and Wastewater Business and Assets Manager Michael Wraight encouraged the community to have their say on this important infrastructure proposal for the Tweed.
‘The NSW Government will consider all submissions received before making a recommendation on the proposal to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, who will make the ultimate decision on whether it can go ahead,’ Mr Wraight said.
‘That’s why I am encouraging all Tweed residents to have their say.
‘The EIS is a crucial step in the planning process and ensures all potential impacts are identified and can be effectively mitigated.
‘Raising the dam 8.5 metres would almost triple its capacity to about 42,300 megalitres, securing the Tweed’s water supply until at least 2065.’
The EIS covers expert studies commissioned by Council into the impact of raising the dam wall by 8.5 metres on such issues as dam safety, cultural heritage, biodiversity, flooding, water quality and hydrology.
It also reviews the impact of construction on traffic, noise and air quality.
Council has published helpful advice about the EIS at yoursaytweed.com.au/clarriehalldameis.
‘We’ve outlined the EIS and the community’s role in the decision-making process and explained how to make a submission during the department’s exhibition period,’ Mr Wraight said.
‘Later in October, we’ll be holding face-to-face and online information sessions to help people unpack the EIS and make a submission.
‘I encourage anyone interested in the EIS to visit our Your Say Tweed webpage and come along to an information session.’
Find out more
Drop-in sessions will be held face-to-face on Wednesday 23 October at the Kingscliff Bowls Club from 5 to 7 pm, and on Thursday 24 October at the Murwillumbah CWA Hall from 12.30 to 2.30 pm and Uki’s Holy Trinity Church from 5 to 7 pm.
Online sessions are scheduled for Friday 25 October from 10 to 11.30 am and Monday 28 October from 5.30 to 7 pm.
‘There’s no need to book into the drop-in face-to-face sessions but we’re asking anyone who wants to attend the online sessions to please register beforehand,’ Mr Wraight said.
Register at yoursaytweed.com.au/clarriehalldameis.
Should the proposal to raise Clarrie Hall Dam gain all NSW and Australian Government approvals, and the elected Tweed Shire Council decides to proceed, construction is expected to start in late 2026.
‘This EIS has been a number of years in the making, with our initial preparations starting in 2016,’ Mr Wraight said.
‘With the EIS now on public exhibition, our proposal to raise the dam wall is a vital step closer to becoming a reality.
‘Raising the dam wall would ensure Council can continue to provide a safe, sustainable and affordable water supply for decades to come.’
