Albert Priest Channel plan a pipe dream?
Wednesday January 17, 2010
Cobar Shire Council has heard concerns that building a pipeline in place of the Albert Priest Channel may not necessarily provide benefits for Cobar.
The proposal to pipe the channel, which delivers Cobar’s annual water allocation from Burrendong Dam, has been the subject of lobbying efforts for the past few years.
It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of Cobar’s annual water allocation is lost during transmission to town through evaporation and seepage while it travels through the channel.
The current Labor federal government had made an election promise to provide $12million for the project, while in recent times there has also been interest from a private investor.
Cr Peter Yench said he was concerned the project had lost its momentum, and called on Cobar Water Board chairman (and former Cobar Shire mayor) Werner Muhlethaler to provide an update on the situation at last week’s works committee meeting of council.
Mr Muhlethaler revealed that a number of concerns have been raised about whether a proposed pipeline would actually result in extra water for Cobar.
He said the federal government’s funding promise came with the condition that any water savings made by building the pipeline would be owned by the federal government for environmental flows.
“If the state or federal government get involved they would take half the water—you wouldn’t get any more,” Mr Muhlethaler said.
He said the cost estimates for the project have also blown out from an initial $25million project to the latest estimate of $60million.
Mr Muhlethaler described the current situation as a “stalemate”, but said the Cobar Water Board is not in a position to lobby for progress.
“The Cobar Water Board was appointed by the minister under the Water Act.
“It is not in a position to act as a lobby group,” Mr Muhlethaler said.
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