Precious Water !

It seems that two issued are connected and need to be considered when the future of the city of Sydney in the remainder of this twenty-first century is decided.  Migration is feeding into the expanding population growth of Greater Sydney and there is a strong body of opinion wanting input lowered or forced to populate country towns and not permitted to settle in this city.  The other issue is the adequacy of the Sydney water supply.

The precious fresh water we drink in Sydney comes from Warragamba dam and this was first built in  1957 when Sydney was a far smaller city.  Over the years we have both seen it filled to capacity and with a lower level that has forced water rationing.   A few years ago the situation was so desperate that we installed a costly new plant to remove the salt from sea water as an emergency backup in time of drought.  It is feared that global warming will lower the natural rainfall in Australia in the years ahead.

We are a very small population in a very big continent and since 1788 our population growth has relied on migration. To others we are an island of tranquillity in an  angry and overcrowded world.  It is because we allow a steady flow of new arrivals that desperate hordes have been restrained from forcing their way into this country by illicit boat arrivals.  We are seeing the chaos this is causing in Europe.

We need steady migration to add to the ingenuity that creates new industries and adds to industrial expansion. The natural flow sees some settle in rural towns but the majority head to the cities which provide the major job markets. Forcing migrants to settle in rural areas without any guarantee of work opportunities is impractical. We would simply create resentful ghettos of unhappy people.

If Sydney is to continue to grow it will need a reliable water supply.  The most practical way of achieving that objective would be to raise the wall height at Warragamba dam to create an enlarged reservoir of fresh drinking water and that will also have the benefit of shielding the people living on the flood plain below the dam from regular flooding.  At present, when Warragamba reaches maximum capacity there is no option other than to open the flood gates.   A huge number of people now live on the flood plain below the dam.

When raising the wall at Warragamba was first costed in 2015 the price was about $ 670 million and the backup of water will flood 3,000 hectares of the Blue Mountains Heritage area.   This raised wall will rise another fourteen metres and create a magnificent lake of fresh water that will serve Sydney's needs well into the future. It is inevitable that some Aboriginal sites will disappear underwater and this greater lake will change the appearance of the original site, but drinking water is one of life necessities and that is the price we have to pay for continuity.

No doubt the Greens and environmental groups will protest loudly and demand further EIS reports but if this project is delayed we may rue the day when crippling water restrictions become essential.  The issue of migration and water needs go hand in hand.  Both are essential if Australia is to progress and those decisions rest in the hands of the Australian people.