A $1.6 billion project to raise the Warragamba Dam wall by 14 meters, previously deemed fiscally ‘unviable’ and ‘difficult’ by the NSW Treasurer, could be expedited.
Premier Dominic Perrottet designated the contentious flood mitigation project to be important state infrastructure on Wednesday, just as a month’s worth of rain is expected to fall in the catchment area during the next week.
But, speaking at a 2019 dinner as environment minister before taking on the treasury post, Matt Kean announced that there were ‘alternative ways’ to minimize flood risk along the Hawkesbury-Nepean river and that the proposal would not’stack up.’
‘Whether you agree with (raising the dam wall) or not, the reality is that there are alternative ways to lessen the risk of flooding along that river,’ Mr Kean said.
‘I believe the economics of increasing the dam wall will render the project unviable.
‘By the time you pay for the offsets for the harm done by erecting the wall… the business case will not stack up.’
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean (pictured) earlier described his government’s plan to raise the Warragamba Dam wall as “unviable.”
Mr Kean told visitors that he planned to be a “strong” voice for the environment, particularly “the Blue Mountains National Park when it comes to the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall.”
When questioned by NSW Shadow Environment Minister Penny Sharpe in October 2021 about whether the project was still ‘sustainable,’ Mr Kean acknowledged the ‘economics were problematic.’
Mr Kean’s commitment to fight for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Ms Sharpe said on Wednesday, sounded hollow.
‘Matt Kean vowed to be a strong environmental voice, but all the community hears now is crickets,’ Ms Sharpe told the Daily Mail Australia.
‘Mr Kean always talks a big game but doesn’t show up when it counts.’
She said that the project jeopardized the site’s World Heritage status and that it remained unfunded despite a 12-year coalition government.
Mr Kean is not the only Coalition member who has expressed reservations about the proposal.
A cross-parliamentary committee led by Liberal MLCs Shayne Mallard and Taylor Martin, as well as Nationals member Wes Fang, issued a unanimous report recommending additional investigation of the environmental implications and seeking the approval of nearby First Nations people.
Traditional owners and environmentalists are vehemently opposed and have previously begun a campaign to prevent the wall from being built.
The huge project will cost approximately $1.6 billion and would elevate the dam wall (seen) by 14 meters.
Ms Sharpe claimed the project would take at least eight years to complete and would fail to prevent floods in the Hawkesbury-Nepean region because roughly half of the floodwaters in the area came from catchment areas not upstream from the dam.
Her remarks come after the Premier of New South Wales declared Wednesday a “landmark day… for a project that has been spoken about for decades.”
The designation of the dam wall rising as Critical State Significant Infrastructure exempts the project from certain environmental and planning regulations.
Mr. Perrottet emphasized that he does not want the important infrastructure to become caught down in red tape and bureaucratic bureaucracy, stating that “we need to prepare, we need to invest.”
‘It’s all about preserving lives and defending property,’ Mr Perrottet explained, adding that the project was required to help protect western Sydney from flooding.
On Wednesday, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet declared the project “vital infrastructure.”
Mr Perrottet stated that an independent flood inquiry report indicated that raising the dam wall was the best method to protect people downstream from the dam.
He noted that it was the most effective long-term flood mitigation approach for helping to protect inhabitants in the Hawkesbury-Nepean region, which has been frequently flooded.
Raising the dam wall in the event of another big flooding event in the Hawkesbury-Nepean area would lower the number of properties affected from 15,000 to 5000.
The number of individuals who would need to be evacuated will be decreased from roughly 90,000 to 14,000, according to the premier.
Water Minister Kevin Anderson stated that raising the wall would lower the cost of damages by up to $8 billion.
Warragamba has spilled several times in the recent year as a result of massive storms and the La Nina weather phenomena.
Independent MP Justin Field described the premier’s declaration as a cynical political ploy made ahead of a tight state election.
Multiple studies, both state and federal, had expressed severe concerns about the merits of building the wall, he added.
‘This decision takes away the community’s ability to challenge future decisions in court, which is extremely worrying,’ Mr Field said.
‘That is a poor procedure.’
Mr Field stated in a 2021 assessment, ‘It is unambiguous that the project will have significant, if not disastrous, consequences on upstream biodiversity, including critically endangered species like the Regent Honeyeater and pure wild rivers like the Kowmung.’
Water NSW will reply to issues mentioned in project submissions before conducting a complete evaluation in accordance with planning legislation.
The Opposition has pledged $225 million for a flood resilience plan for western Sydney, which would include projects such as evacuation roads, levees, and essential communications infrastructure to improve flood prevention and evacuation infrastructure.
The Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Mr Kean’s office for comment.