By Melissa Blewitt

A proposed $5 billion investment in regional town water infrastructure has been welcomed by the Country Mayors Association of NSW, as Condobolin continues to face challenges with its ageing water treatment plant.

The NSW Opposition has announced a commitment to invest $5 billion over 10 years to address town water infrastructure across regional NSW.

The announcement comes as Lachlan Shire Council faces the significant challenge of maintaining Condobolin’s water supply through an ageing treatment plant that has limited capacity during periods of high demand.

The issue came into sharp focus in January, when extreme heat and dry conditions saw water demand exceed the plant’s capacity to produce potable water.

Council subsequently introduced Level 2 water restrictions after reservoir levels fell below 70 per cent.

Council has said maintaining reservoir levels at or above 70 per cent is necessary to provide adequate pressure throughout the town’s water network and retain a buffer in the event of a system failure or power outage.

Lachlan Shire Council has acknowledged the Condobolin Water Treatment Plant is ageing and requires significant capital investment.

A recent parliamentary submission described the plant as more than 78 years old, with limited remaining asset life and a need for major upgrading or replacement.

Lachlan Shire Council General Manager Ian Greenham said providing safe and affordable water was particularly challenging for regional and remote communities.

“Access to safe, acceptable and affordable water is a basic human right, recognised by United Nations General Assembly in 2010.  This is particularly challenging in remote and regional areas of our State for local government water utilities to manage significant capital upgrades with a very low population and keep the water affordable,” he said.

“It is vital that other levels of Government step in and is why Lachlan Shire Council welcomes the announcement from the Hon Shadow Minister for Water, Stephanie Cooke MP.  We now have to lobby the sitting State Labour Government to match or better this vital investment.  Water funding should not be a political football.  We need bipartisan support to address the State’s water infrastructure backlog, particularly in regional communities such as ours.

“Lachlan Shire Council have plans for renewal of water and waste water facilities in Condobolin.  We are making progress on land access, concept designs and business plans in partnership with DCCEEW (NSW Department of Climate Change Energy Environment and Water) and NSW Public Works Advisory.  We will work with all tiers of Government to ensure this new infrastructure is funded under a model that is affordable for our community.”

The situation has highlighted the importance of long-term investment in regional water infrastructure, particularly as communities experience population growth and increased demand for housing and essential services.

Country Mayors Association of NSW chairman and Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman OAM said around one-third of CMA member councils were also Local Water Utilities, collectively providing drinking water to almost three million people across remote, rural and regional NSW.

“Currently, most are struggling to meet the costs associated with upgrading existing facilities or building new water treatment plants,” Mayor Firman said.

He said water treatment facilities were essential to housing growth but could cost millions of dollars to build or upgrade.

“The CMA warmly welcomes this announcement from the NSW Coalition because it recognises and addresses the desperate need that many remote, rural and regional councils have for long-term, committed investment in this essential service,” Mayor Firman said.

He also criticised the lack of comparable funding for regional NSW in the most recent NSW Budget, pointing to more than $5 billion committed to town water issues in western Sydney.

The proposed funding comes as regional communities continue to face the challenge of providing reliable, quality drinking water while meeting the infrastructure requirements associated with growth.

Mayor Firman said every new home required access to drinking water and that all NSW residents should have access to quality drinking water.

For Condobolin, the proposed investment could provide an opportunity to address the long-term infrastructure pressures facing the town, as residents continue to rely on an ageing treatment plant.

Council publishes monthly EPA monitoring data for the Condobolin Water Filtration Plant, providing information on its environmental and operational performance.

The immediate challenge remains maintaining a reliable water supply while longer-term investment and plans for replacement infrastructure progress.