Byron Shire councillors Janet Swain (Labor) and Jack Dods (independent) brought a motion ‘to stop a further report on Mullumbimby’s Lavertys Gap water supply, to cease all further work on the Mullumbimby water supply from Lavertys Gap, and shut down the treatment plant,’ to the last Council meeting on Thursday, 17 September.
Swain made it clear that she feels the project is a waste of money and that Byron Shire Council (BSC) should move away from the risk of ‘running our own aging plant’.
Though she argued that ‘every dollar of that [spent on the report] is a dollar we didn’t spend on roads, on services, on the things the community actually is asking for’ it was later pointed out that the money for the study is coming from the water fund and therefore could not be spent on roads and potholes regardless of the whether the report was commissioned or not.
Cr Elia Hauge (Greens), who is also a hydrologist by training, responded explaining ‘economic value’ and telling the councillors that in previous studies ‘Council used a climate change projection that said there would be one degree of global warming in 2030, and that global warming was happening in a linear fashion. Neither of those things are true. We have already blown plus one degree of climate change, and it is definitely happening in linear fashion.’
Cr Hauge said that Council did not have the information to make a ‘yes or no’ decision at this point and that this report would supply that.
Crs Michael Lyon (independent) and Dods both supported Swain saying that the water supply from Rocky Creek Dam via Ruos County Council (RCC) was reliable, tasted good, and was the best economic decision considering the limited funds available to Council.
Mayor Sarah Ndiaye (Greens) clarified that the RCC would be increasing water charges by seven per cent year-on-year for the next five years and that would also impact people’s rates and that they didn’t have enough future water available. She also pointed out that waste infrastructure had been woefully underfunded in NSW and that by going ahead with the report Council would be in a position to seek grants when future government investment come online.
Cr Michelle Lowe (Greens) highlighted that ‘the scientific climate predictions are dire, and Australia is one of the worst countries to live in, and our area is one of the worst areas to live in. This is the science. This is the ICCP reports.’
She also pointed out the significant impacts of the Dunoon Dam proposal on the Widjabul Wia-bal people’s sacred lands, and on wildlife, if it went ahead.
Nonetheless Cr Dods said ‘the Dunnon Dam will probably happen because of the demands on the water supply from growth in other parts of the RCC network’.
Independent Cr David Warth weighed in saying, ‘I’m seeing a real lack of long-term vision here… when we’re talking about finances, over 100 years, if you amortize the cost of maybe $12 million or something like that, you’ll start to find that this is an absolute bargain that Mullumbimby would be getting the beautiful water, fully reticulated, no pumping, going into at least 100 years.’
‘When I ran for Council, one of the biggest priorities was Lavertys Gap. We want a water supply. We want to keep our water supply. So I went in to bat for that.
‘Whereas with RCC it [water] is going to get more and more expensive. And you’re talking about rates that will reflect that. Whereas once you’ve got your own water treatment plant, the cost will start coming down.’
The motion was lost with councillors Hauge, Kay, Ndiaye, Lowe and Warth against, and Swain, Lyon and Dods in favour.
Cr Ndiaye then moved the staff motion to go ahead with the ‘strategic planning assessment of water supply options for Mullumbimby,’ this will cost a minimum of $322,000.
This was won with councillors Hauge, Kay, Ndiaye, Lowe and Warth in favour and Swain, Lyon and Dods against.
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