Mole River dam debate tears at the social fabric between graziers and irrigators

A business case study is expected before year's end while a NSW Upper House Parliamentary recently highlighted concerns raised by the 100 gigalitre Mole River project, including a loss of biodiversity and first nations heritage.

Rob and Ruth Caldwell will lose their house, best yards, the wool shed and their most fertile cultivation flats should the dam be built, immediately below their property, Alister. While there is water in the catchment now, there have been many times it lay bone dry.

"The last time it was this wet was in 1976," recalled Mr Caldwell.

"We live with the land and once the river stops running we stop pumping. Once it is damned there will be regulations and restrictions and there will be a dry dam in a drought. For the amount of money budgeted we don't think it's worth the cost. It will be a little puddle at best. We say leave well enough alone."

At Mingoola, where the Mole meets the Dumeresq - across from Pike Creek, which carries water from the marginal Glen Lyon dam - there are those who are frustrated by a lack of secure water and flood mitigation.

"The country needs a dam," states Simbrah breeder John Claydon, whose access was flooded by the Mole after heavy rain last week.

"With more population we need more feed and for that we need more water. True, 100GL is not enough but it will help. During the worst 12 months of drought that would have grown a lot of hay."

Flood mitigation is another reason to dam the Mole, with massive destruction in 2011 nearly repeated in March this year when cotton, sorghum and Lucerne were drowned on irrigated flats downstream from Mingoola, especially near Texas, Qld.

Bob South of the Mole and Sovereign Water Users Association estimates total damage to crops at $30m. He says real data on river flow and value needs to be communicated from government.

"Anything less than 300GL will benefit very few people," he said.

"At 100GL those who will benefit will be irrigators downstream whose licence will become regulated, and therefore worth more money on the open market."

Mr South has calculated the direct farm gate benefit from a 300GL dam providing say 250GL of direct benefit might equal $1.25m in cotton at the farm gate, never mind the flow on effect while the increased cost of water would be minimal.

"There's been a lot of misinformation on the cost of this dam," he said.

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