Congratulations to all on successful funding to double capacity of Malpas Dam

Malpas Dam (May 2020)

Scarcely a week after our previous post supporting increasing the capacity of Malpas Dam, our association was surprised and delighted to learn of the success of Adam Marshall MP and our Armidale Regional Council in securing $27m from the NSW government to double the capacity of our region’s main drinking water supply, Malpas Dam.

All of us in our region know just how serious our water supply issues were in the record drought which climaxed at the end of 2019. Many will also be aware that, as Armidale has grown, it has needed water storages to be built: initially Dumaresq Dam (1898) which has been supplemented over time by Puddledock Dam (1928), Gara Dam (1954) and Malpas Dam (1968) which has been a wonderful asset for more than 50 years. Now, after witnessing the water crisis of 2019, reason seems to have prevailed.

We congratulate all those who have lobbied for this much needed critical infrastructure for Armidale and our region and in particular Mr Adam Marshall MP, Mayor Sam Coupland (and previous Mayors), ARC Councillors and Council staff.

There is one further matter which still requires attention however. Just as our nation has learned that the rivers across the Murray Darling Basin require environmental flows to maintain their health, so too does our Dumaresq Creek which, at times, ceases flow. The natural flows which supply our city’s main stream come from the catchment at the foot of Mt Duval (Duembandyi) and these were interrupted when Dumaresq Dam was built 13 km upstream of Armidale way back in 1898.

So, we invite all those interested in help us find one or more sources of water to restore natural environmental flows along our stream so that we can all enjoy the benefits of flowing healthy water through billabongs, wetlands and ponds all along our creeklands. Unfortunately, our ‘Master’ plan for the Armidale Creeklands was limited in scope and so did not address this issue. We might even be able to recycle water during drought times to keep water flowing and aerated.

Seeking environmental flows remains an important issue which our association is trying to address. If you would like to help us, you might consider joining our association?