New weir on Darling can't come soon enough, say Wilcannia locals

A bevy of ministers swooped on Wilcannia today to announce the $30 million funding, that still has to meet a business case to proceed. It’s still not sure where the new weir dam wall will go, but the most likely spot is about four kilometres south of Wilcannia near the cemetery. If the case is established, construction will start late next year. 

But not all in the town want it.  Wilcannia Community Tourist Association spokesman Bill Elliott, and retired “Yelta” farmer, says some townsfolk complained that their kids would have to go too far to fish from the new weir wall.

But Mr Elliott says the new weir can’t come soon enough with the Darling under constant pressure from the drought and Wilcannia needing water security.

“The current weir leaks more water than the town uses,” Mr Elliott said.

“We’ve been on the case for the new weir for four to five years with many meetings and representations, and we weren’t even asked to come to the announcement. For what we’ve been putting up with it’s a bloody disgrace. Broken Hill got a $500 million new water pipeline and water is disappearing upstream from us all the time because of over allocations and we were stuck in the middle getting nothing.”

The announcement came as a surprise as NSW had been dragging its heels on the new weir for some time. Only two years ago Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said the preferred option was to repair the existing weir wall. Mr Blair had conceded the process was taking "far longer" than anticipated.

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In 2016, Mr Blair’s office  found that a feasibility study into upgrading or replacing it showed the project did not meet minimum cost-benefit requirements. The new weir though was pushed by the Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham who said  then  in 2016 “If they build the weir, it will make a massive difference to the people of Wilcannia," and said  the Government's specific mention of repairing the existing weir was “concerning”.

But the political tide has changed – rapidly. Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources David Littleproud said first a business case would be put together to select the best location.

“We’ve got the money sitting in the bank and this business case will make sure it’s well spent,” Minister Littleproud said. “The weir is an important place for local Aboriginal communities and cultural gatherings.”

NSW Minister for Regional Water Niall Blair said he was committed to seeing this project come to fruition.

“The NSW Government previously prepared a scoping study and business case to replace Wilcannia Weir, which suggested a new weir be built 5.2km downstream,” Mr Blair said.

“These studies will form the basis of the final investigations, including the consultations on the original business case which identified that the communities preferred option was a weir built downstream of the existing structure. This project goes beyond just providing drinking water, this Weir is a place for the Wilcannia community to swim, fish and celebrate the cultural traditions it holds dear.

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“I know this project has taken some time but we didn’t give up, we said we would keep going until we could deliver the funding and today I am happy to say we hold true to that commitment. We expect that the preferred location and design of the weir to be confirmed by mid next year, with construction expected by the end of 2019.”

Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said the development will bolster the local community. “Locals have been calling for a new weir for decades and we’re determined to see it through,” Mr Coulton said.

“A new weir will secure the community’s future so locals can keep enjoying the Wilcannia life.”

Member for Barwon, Kevin Humphries said he started this work as Minister for Western NSW five years ago with the then Member for Murray-Darling John Williams.

“We met with representatives of the community on the banks of the Darling River in 2013, at ‘Cemetery Rocks’, downstream of the Wilcannia township,” Mr Humphries said.

“The good work of the community will see a weir pool built to meet the current needs of the community and future opportunities for the region.”

Funding for Wilcannia Weir is drawn from the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program, a national program investing in rural water use, management and efficiency.

Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham has welcomed the state and federal governments finally committing $30 million to build a new downstream weir for Wilcannia, but said it had taken too long.

It should not take a tight state and federal election to get action for regional communities on water supplies, he said.

“I was first approached in 2014 by Wilcannia residents about a new weir for Wilcannia and I’ve been pursuing the government about the issue ever since. I’ve raised it in parliament at every opportunity, written to the Premier and the ministers, and educated the community about the great injustice and need for a new weir,” Mr Buckingham said

“A new weir and the weir pool it will create will provide, swimming, fishing, cultural and even small-scale irrigation opportunities for the people of Wilcannia. 

“While the Wilcannia weir announcement is a good step forward, it will not solve the systemic problem of a lack of surface flows down the Darling/Barka river due to over allocation to upstream irrigation, mainly cotton.

“The Barkindji people tell me that the Barka is dying. The regular small and medium flows that came down the Darling through Wilcannia have stopped because too much water is being taken up stream.

“While the government is recognising the cultural values of the Darling River, it should facilitate the process to formally recognise the Aboriginal name for the Darling River - the Barka - with a dual naming through the NSW Geographical Names Board.

“The Greens are proud to represent the interests of the people of Wilcannia. They may be far away and isolated from Sydney, but I have made sure that their issues were raised in the parliament time and time again.

“The cynic would note that the government has finally committed money to the project only a few months before both state and federal elections are due. This is exactly why people should vote against the National Party. It’s only when they can’t take the Far West for granted that they pay any attention or grant any funding,” he said.

Fast Facts:

 Both Commonwealth and NSW Governments have committed up to $15 million

each for a new weir

 $150,000 will be spent to build a business case for the preferred site of the new

weir

 The weir upgrade is part of the Federal Coalition Government’s agreement with

the opposition to improve outcomes for Aboriginal communities in the Basin.