Securing sustainable water resources with off-creek storage ---Development of the RWS project
Securing sustainable water resources with off-creek storage ---Development of the RWS project
Prior to 1994 preliminary studies had assessed a range of options for meeting future water supply demand. In 1995, investigations of alternative water sources to the Orara and Nymboida Rivers found that, with the exception of large-scale desalination, none of the alternative water sources (including rainwater tanks) had the potential to completely replace the existing potable surface water supply during drought periods. The costs of alternative approaches were also significantly greater than for surface water schemes
A Community Advisory Group was formed in 1996 and a Project Charter was developed in 1997. Concerns about ecological and heritage impacts in Kangaroo Creek resulted in further investigations of 14 locations, with three potential storage sites identified as warranting further investigation due to their lesser environmental impact and/or lower cost. Schemes based on these sites were developed, costed and assessed in accordance with the objectives and success parameters of the Project Charter, with Shannon Creek selected in July 1997 as the most appropriate site for a storage.
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Environmental, cultural, economic and other logistical parameters guided the storage’s design and construction to provide the most sustainable solution for the region. Key issues for consideration included:
• Environmental impacts of a storage and construction impacts.
• Environmental impacts on rivers and other consequences of not building a storage
• Construction costs.
• Emerging technologies and the potential for new solutions in the longer-term.
• Possible need to extend storage capacity in the future.
• Protection of cultural heritage values.
• Storage destratification and multi-level offtake for water quality and aquatic and riparian ecosystems.
• The extensive pipeline network required to distribute water, and opportunities for reducing the potential carbon footprint.
• The need to protect the flow of Shannon Creek.
• The need to accelerate pipeline construction to address drought needs.
• The need to engage the community.
The project was refined through an Environmental Impact Assessment process, threatened species impact statement, an Environmental Commission of Inquiry (requested by the project proponents), an inquiry by the Healthy Rivers Commission, cultural heritage studies, economic appraisals and community and government agency engagement. Due to the presence of threatened species and communities on the site, project approval was also obtained under the Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The eventual RWS Project comprised:
• A 30,000 ML Shannon Creek storage approximately 9 km west of Coutts Crossing.
• 90 kms of underground pipelines linking the Nymboida River with the new Shannon Creek storage, the existing Rushforth Road reservoir at South Grafton and the existing Karangi Dam near Coffs Harbour.
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