The NSW Government yesterday announced a $2.25 million upgrade to Bathurst’s Winburndale Dam, which will help safeguard the site’s water supply for years to come.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Winburndale Dam has been a water supply for Bathurst since the 1930s, and the proposed works will see improvements to the dam wall and enhanced accessibility to the site.
“As a government, we know that we have many ageing assets across the state, and we need to make sure that all older dam structures are safe,” Member for Regional Water Niall Blair said.
“For us to be able to assist Bathurst Regional Council in funding the dam and ensuring it meets proper safety requirements is a fantastic thing for the regional community.”
The $2.25 million will help support Bathurst Regional Council in a project that is expected to cost near $10 million to complete.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said the funding is a testament to the NSW Government’s commitment to regional NSW.
“Investments like this are making the Bathurst electorate a great place to live and a great place for attracting people to invest,” Mr Toole said.
“Having this good water supply means that our businesses and industries will continue to grow.”
A push from the Bathurst Regional Council to improve the safety and security of the Winburndale Dam began in late 2013.
The council identified three key improvements that were required to bring the dam up to modern safety requirements.
This included improving the stability of the central concrete wall, raising the walls on the sides of the dam and installing upgraded outlet structures to safely and efficiently deliver the water to Bathurst.
“Currently, the dam that we have is not suitably strong enough to combat major flood events,” Bathurst Regional Council’s director of engineering services Darren Sturgiss said.
“This work will ensure that the dam will be strong enough to meet the needs of the community in the future.”
The proposed works will include strengthening the existing concrete gravity overflow sections, raising the embankments by 1.2 metres, raising the crest access bridge and modifying existing outlet works.
The Winburndale Dam is primarily used to supply untreated water to Bathurst’s parks and sporting fields, as well as for industrial use.