Wagga City Council has called for a long-term replacement plan for Burrinjuck Dam with potential of adding capacity to the largest irrigation water storage in the region.
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Councillors at Tuesday's meeting will consider the four responses that council has received so far from state and federal ministers after mayor Greg Conkey wrote to them last year.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Cr Conkey said there were "no suggestions that the dam was unsafe".
"They did some extensive work on it not so long ago and they have strengthened the wall, however the suggestion is: should we be looking at it in the long term? What is going to happen in the next 20 or 30 years' time?" he said.
"Do we need to augment it, do we need to increase the height of the wall? It's about what we need to do as far as irrigation and water security is concerned. We need to start that discussion now."
In September, councillors voted to send letters requesting that "discussions and actions begin in relation to the looming need for replacement of Burrinjuck Dam and the upgrading of the downstream infrastructure".
NSW Farmers Wagga branch president Alan Brown said he supported the objective to increase capacity at Burrinjuck Dam.
"To my mind one of the benefits would be increased water security, which would mean increased productivity and the other is hopefully it might have a greater flood mitigation effect," he said.
"Hopefully, if there was extra capacity then landowners downstream would get flooded less often and less severely.
"Increasing productivity is good for the whole economy, not just the rural economy. When agriculture is doing well, everybody benefits."
Griffith councillor and Build More Dams working group chairman Dino Zappacosta said it was gratifying and appreciated to see Wagga council campaign for a bigger Burrinjuck Dam.
"The reason why we are urging more water storage in the Burrinjuck is primarily to assist irrigators and water users throughout the entire Murrumbidgee Valley and this would also help with the Murray Darling Basin having more water at their disposal for the basin plan.
"When you look at the drought years, having greater storage would help soften the years when there is very little rainfall or runoff.
"It's the only way forward, to have a bit more water security and without water security you can't produce food and that's what the country needs."
Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt told the council to contact the NSW government so it could present a proposal for Commonwealth funding.
"I encourage you to engage with the [NSW Water Minister] Melinda Pavey about four proposal for construction of a new and larger Burrinjuck Dam," Mr Pitt stated to the council.
Ms Pavey also responded to the council and stated that the option to raise Burrinjuck Dam would be considered in a 20-year regional water strategy for the region.
"A significant amount of work has been undertaken to identify a range of options to improve water availability and address constraints for the Murrumbidgee in WaterNSW's 20 Year Infrastructure Options Study 2018," Ms Pavey stated.
"This study includes options to raise Burrinjuck Dam and to construct a new mid-system storage at Lake Coolah.
"Further analysis of the potential benefits of these and other options included in the study needs to be undertaken."
In response to Ms Pavey's letter, Cr Conkey said the 20-year regional water strategy would be one of many upcoming reports that the council would keep an eye out for.
The council also received responses from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who referred the council's letter to Ms Pavey, and from the Department of Regional NSW.
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