AS the Ben Chifley Dam level drops to its lowest mark in almost a decade, you would think discussion around town would naturally turn to the threat of water restrictions.
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But not in Bathurst.
It’s a curiosity within Bathurst Regional Council that it can simultaneously promote its green credentials while also boasting that the region has never had water restrictions imposed.
Bathurst is fortunate to be home to one of the state’s most secure water supplies in Ben Chifley Dam but it should not rest smugly on those laurels.
Council believes the fact we’ve never had water restrictions is a powerful selling tool for the region, particularly attractive to businesses considering relocating to the region.
But would low-level restrictions really be such a bad thing?
Level 1 water restrictions generally mean only that householders cannot water their lawns outside of set times [in the evening to prevent evaporation] and that residents cannot use a hose to sweep their front driveway.
They are hardly restrictions. Rather, they are sensible steps that every resident should adopt anyway.
The introduction of such “restrictions” would show that council was serious about protecting water, even when it is in plentiful supply in our dam, and that residents recognise the need to avoid waste.
Surely that’s a message worth sending about our region, and one that would only further secure the local water supply.
But don’t expect to hear that conversation in Bathurst over the next few days.
That’s just not how we do things.
