Water, it is the lifeblood of any community and ensuring that it is clean, drinkable and supports not only the local agriculture and ecosystems but also the local human and non-human populations is essential. What we do at a local level is as important as what is taking place at COP26.

Rous County Council is putting residents of the Northern Rivers to the test by challenging households to take up the Water Night Challenge.

The Ballina Environment Society (BES) has accused Ballina Councillor Sharon Cadwallader of politicising water security by using ‘the Dunoon Dam as one of her key concerns in her bid for mayor in September’s local government elections’.

Ballina's Cr Eoin Johnston is calling for council to invite senior technical representatives of Rous County Council to provide a briefing to Ballina's councillors on the ramifications of using the Alstonville Aquifer as a major source of water supply to the region for the next forty years.

With public submissions on Rous Council’s proposed Dunoon Dam expected to be released Wednesday December 16, Ballina councillor and Rous chair Keith Williams told The Echo that submissions he has seen so far indicate strong opposition.

In a month's time Rous County Council (RCC) will be deciding if they are going to pursue the proposed Dunoon Dam project – the question is had they already made up their mind before community consultation?

Rous County Council Chair and Cr Keith Williams has written to Echonetdaily in response to yesterday's story with Annie Kia and Nan Nicholson about the proposed Dunoon Dam.