A PROPOSAL to potentially implement water restrictions at the end of November was narrowly passed through Bathurst Regional Council on Wednesday night.
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Under the plan, high water restrictions will be imposed upon Bathurst residents from November 26 if Chifley Dam hasn’t reached 75 per cent capacity by November 12.
The dam was at 60 per cent earlier this month.
The restrictions will be enforceable, with council able to issue individuals with a penalty infringement notice of $220 following warnings.
Approving the plans proved difficult, with the absence of councillor Jess Jennings leading to a four-four split of the votes.
Mayor Graeme Hanger had to use his casting vote, which was in support of the proposal, to break the tie.
Councillors John Fry, Monica Morse and Jacqui Rudge also voted for the plans to be approved, while Warren Aubin, Bobby Bourke, Alex Christian and Ian North were against implementing restrictions.
Debate of the report to council, compiled by director of Engineering Services, Darren Sturgiss, centred on whether 75 per cent was a reasonable “trigger point” for restrictions and the likelihood of rain.
“It’s highly unlikely that the dam level will be 75 per cent by November 12, it would be extraordinary,” Cr Morse said.
“In the recent rainfalls, we’ve had good rain in Bathurst and virtually nothing in the catchment area for the dam.”
Cr Morse continued, saying that council had a responsibility to residents, both existing and future, to conserve water, given the outlook for summer was “exceedingly dry and exceedingly hot”.
She said the restrictions, which include limits on the days of watering, the timing of watering and the duration of watering, weren’t very harsh for most residents.
Cr Bourke, however, said the enforcement of the restrictions with fines was a case of “scaremongering” as he felt people were rarely fined.
He said it was only recently that council approved a policy that highlighted a dam level of 40 per cent as the trigger for water restrictions.
“We go and build levy banks all around here because water will come this way, we’re going out to Perthville to build more levy banks because water will come, and here we are putting [the trigger point] up to 75 per cent – from 40 up to 75,” Cr Bourke said.
Cr Aubin said he agreed with Cr Bourke’s points “totally”.
“We agreed on 40 per cent, that’s the trigger point, it’s done us well over a lot of years, and I think we should just adhere to that,” he said.
Councillors against the plan also questioned what would happen if the dam level narrowly missed 75 per cent by the deadline.
“I'm not for bringing in a campaign that the dam has to be 75 per cent,” Cr Aubin said.
“What happens if we come to Monday, November 12 and the dam's at 73 per cent? Are we really going to go to water restrictions?”
Cr Fry said he endorsed the report by Mr Sturgiss and added that, with the uncertainty over rain, council should err on the side of caution and impose restrictions to start conserving water.
Residents will be notified of water restrictions should they be imposed next month.
For now, residents are encouraged to undertake voluntary Water Wise guidelines to help conserve water.
