Warragamba Dam wall raise scrapped despite lingering flood fears

Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon has lashed the new State government after it was confirmed they would maintain their decision to cancel plans to raise the wall at Warragamba Dam, despite the Hawkesbury region being continually devastated by floods in recent years.

According to a 2021 report by Infrastructure NSW following a number of natural disasters, raising the dam wall by 14 metres would have lowered flood peaks in the region by over 5 metres and saved up to 80 per cent of affected homes, containing an extra trillion litres of water. This became a key issue for the previous government, who were attempting to secure a funding guarantee from the Federal Government prior to the state election.

The Minns ALP government has responded by confirming they'll be seeking other methods to ensure the safety of local residents, such as building levies and improving evacuation routes and emergency communications in the area - drawing condemnation from the local mayor after she had called on the new Premier to meet with locals just one day before the decision was officially confirmed without the requested consultation.

“I don’t know how any politician could look any person in the Hawkesbury in the eye … and say they’re taking that protection away from us,” McMahon said.

“I’m actually furious. When I passed the mayoral minute last night, I did it in good faith the Premier would come have a conversation with us given our community bears the brunt of floods.”

“You’ve now left a community which still hasn’t recovered, which is still facing mental health consequences from the devastation and destruction, without any hope.”

Water minister Rose Jackson cited concerns about cost blowouts, as well as the likelihood of damage to key historical Indigenous sites and habitats of endangered animals. Her concerns had been echoed by local environmental and Indigenous groups.

“The project will not guarantee communities in Western Sydney will be safe from flood events,” Jackson told media earlier this week, per SMH.

“We know raising the wall would flood the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area; inundating 1200 Aboriginal sites and artefacts, destroying habitat for critically endangered species and [risking] Blue Mountain’s World Heritage listing.”

Federal MP for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh also criticised the decision.

“If Labor has cancelled the project to raise the dam wall while the planning and assessment process is still under way, then my community deserves to know right now what the government’s plan is, and the evidence that their plan is going to save more lives and homes,” she said.

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