Originally identified in 1983(and subsequently canned by the Neville Wran government) to supplement the water resources of the Namoi River Valley and to provide an option for meeting increased peak plant capacity on the NSW power system, the Apsley River Project was recently re-visited by the Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce MP in his role as chair of the Prime Minister’s Water Infrastructure Ministerial Working Group and he has included it in the Water Infrastructure Options paper.

This options paper identifies a total of 63 projects Australia-wide which have been identified by the States, Territories and others for further consideration.

The 63 projects have been categorised on the basis of when potential investment decisions may be necessary, the nature of the activities for which assistance is being requested, such as investment or feasibility or a contribution to construction costs and whether more information is needed to enable assessment of the projects to be made.

The categories of the projects are: 1. Projects already funded with existing Commonwealth assistance; 2. Projects likely to be sufficiently developed to allow consideration of possible capital investment within the next 12 months; 3. Projects which could warrant future consideration of possible capital investment, but less advanced in stage development; 4. Projects likely to be suitable for further consideration for possible assistance to accelerate feasibility studies, cost benefit analysis or design; 5. Projects likely to occur without direct Commonwealth involvement; and 6. Projects where more information is required from state and territory government to inform categorisation.

The Apsley Dam Project has been identified under category 4.

At the November Tamworth Council ordinary meeting prominent councillors stated their support of the project. 

Part of the original Apsley Dam project was to lift water back into the Macdonald River to run it west into the Namoi River. There was also discussion regarding a lift from the Macdonald into the Cockburn and running water from Apsley through Tamworth.

Tamworth deputy mayor, Russ Webb and councillor Juanita Wilson both spoke of the need by the council to throw its support behind the Apsley proposal. It was a project they said offered long term water security to the city and surrounding communities.

Mr Joyce has welcomed the support of both councils.

He said the Apsley proposal, east of Walcha, is one of about 30 projects in the report that are being studied for further discussion and that growth in the agricultural sector depended on the sustainable use of natural resources and the right water infrastructure in the right places.

“Water is wealth and stored water is a bank. It’s vitally important therefore that our water infrastructure, in terms of storage and irrigation capacity, keeps pace with the needs of the nation, including farmers, industry, mining and regional communities and the cities,” he said.

Mr Joyce said irrigation contributed to 28 per cent of Australia’s agricultural production in 2012–13.