It’s Thursday’s news, but it bears repeating.
Peter Garrett has announced his approval of the gargantuan cotter dam expansion project.
“This is a good outcome—it provides water security for the Canberra region and at the same time the stringent conditions I have imposed will ensure that threatened species will be properly protected.” Minister Garrett said.
“The species of particular concern to me in this instance are the Murray cod and the Macquarie perch. ACTEW will fund and implement a fish management plan to ensure any impacts on the Macquarie perch are acceptable.
“Road crossings upstream will be modified to allow access to additional spawning habitat for the Macquarie perch. ACTEW will also create and install artificial habitat suited to the species.
With the cost blowing out from an originally projected ~$100 million to ~300 million does anyone want to guess where the final price will finish up?
Due to be completed in 2011. Most likely late 2012. With inflation on the rise, 600 million ?
$370 million. Once a new Cotter Pub (hot chips and smokey pool table!) and associated adventure playground is built in the area.
Yeah, I’ll go for $600 million.
More water restrictions when it is finished, the dams will only be 10% full
Wow. Way to go with the positive comments…
Actually if you look at the dam stats you will see the Cotter and Bendora dams have been 100% full for some time. Now considering these are being topped up by Corin which has reminded static I would say that the catchment in this area is healthy, so will rise and fill the enlarged Cotter over time.
For the money, they could install large water tanks for every home in Canberra to use for washing clothes and flushing toilets.
This is desperately needed. Every water conservation strategy has been exhausted. Oh, wait…
I heard that the head of Actew has put his job on the line for both cost and completion dates? That’s a pretty fair indication that the ‘estimates’ are pretty spot on…
Grail said :
Actually no they couldn’t
70GL divided by 110000 homes would be a 600KL tank in every home for the same storage capacity.
Bring it on. I am soooooooo over water restrictions.
I heard that the head of Actew has put his job on the line for both cost and completion dates? That’s a pretty fair indication that the ‘estimates’ are pretty spot on…
Aspiration target anyone?
FFS – just buy 100GL from Tatangara and let it flow down to Corin, and then pump it across to Googong. I’m getting sick of hearing the neighbours whinging when I hose my driveway.
Who cares what it costs – It will be so worth it if is irritates the NIMBYS!
JC said :
Hang on – the festering bucket of mouldy water in my back yard has been full as well – (as long as the dog hasn’t knocked it over again!)
Your point is?????
My money is on the project going over time and over budget but Mr Sullivan keeping his job anyway. If the budget really explodes he may be appointed as the head of a more prestigious agency.
Hang on – the festering bucket of mouldy water in my back yard has been full as well – (as long as the dog hasn’t knocked it over again!)
Yes, but thankfully we’re not drawing drinking water from that bucket. We are, however, drawing it from Cotter dam.
Your point is?????
I thought his point was very clear. I have no idea, however, what your point is.
sepi said :
+ 1 My Chinese Pistachio and Crepe Myrtle are really suffering
Ah yes – but will the “water conservation measures” (the word ‘restriction’ is no longer used) ever be lifted?
I am prepared to bet a large chunk of hard earned that we will continue to be restricted in how we use the water we pay for.
Yes we are going to fund the new dam wall, yes it should ’secure our water needs’ but no promise that we’ll be acually free to decide how and when we use it after paying for it.
FFS – just buy 100GL from Tatangara and let it flow down to Corin, and then pump it across to Googong. I’m getting sick of hearing the neighbours whinging when I hose my driveway.
Water can’t flow from Tantangara to Corin, unless we built a pipeline to connect them. Water released from Tantangara flows down the Murrumbidgee.
There is a seperate project building a weir on the Murrumbidgee at Angle Crossing, together with a pumping station and a pipeline to Googong, that when complete will allow water to be pumped from the Murrumbidgee to Googong (and so also allow us to purchase Tantangara water, if we wanted to).
James-T-Kirk said :
The point would be that Corin is being slowly filled as it’s not being used to fill the Cotter and Bendora dams, as they are overflowing with the recent rains.
Extra capacity at the Cotter will mean the ability to hold the water entering the catchment below Corin.
http://www.actewagl.com.au/water/facts/damCapacity.aspx
VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :
Is there 100GL in Tantangara?
I’m trying to work out where 27.1 ML (Megalitres) went yesterday being a Sunday and a wet one at that.
Refer: http://tinyurl.com/StorageVolume
Rawhide Kid No 2 said :
Oops. That should read 10.7 ML
James-T-Kirk said :
taco said :
Correct. The 3 dams up that way are one complete system. It is healthy and storage volumes are growing. So enlarging the Cotter makes sense.
Enlarging Cotter is a good Idea its overflowing all the time that dam and also it will make a great fishery. You cant bring water from Tantangara as its in another catchment from Corin and also its used as a top up for the Snowy Mountains Scheme and is usually only around 5% full if that.
icantbelieveitsnotbutter said :
and he will get the boot and a huge payout to go with it and say thanks.