BATHURST'S water use has dropped by more than a third in the past 12 months following the introduction of water restrictions to tackle the ongoing drought.
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Bathurst residents are now using an average of 160 litres of water a day, compared to 244 litres in 2018.
The figures are included in a letter from mayor Bobby Bourke to a Sydney newspaper over an article that painted a disastrous picture of Bathurst's water security.
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The article, published in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, said Bathurst Regional Council's failure to secure a water allocation from Oberon Dam had "inflamed tensions in the thirsty town".
It delivered a damning assessment of council's performance in lobbying the state government, quoting Councillor Jess Jennings as saying "we've had absolutely zero political leadership from our mayor to lobby on behalf of our irrigators".
The article also wrongly credited Cr Jennings [not Cr John Fry] with attempting to "have a water emergency declared for the region".
... The Bathurst community has responded extremely well to the implementation of water restrictions.
- Mayor Bobby Bourke
Cr Bourke was so offended by the article he took the unusual step of replying to the newspaper in writing, saying he wished to clarify a number of the points.
Copies of the letter have also been handed to all Bathurst councillors.
In the letter, Cr Bourke says council has taken a "proactive and supportive" approach to working with local irrigators, as demonstrated by the 20 per cent allocation to irrigators using the town water supply.
"As mayor, I have met with and will continue to meet with the premier, deputy premier and minister for water, property and housing, along with our local member, to advocate and implement projects to address what is said by many to be the worst drought in history," the letter states.
"... The Bathurst community has responded extremely well to the implementation of water restrictions, through the leadership of council, with the current usage being around 160 litres per person per day, down from 244 litres per person per day on average in 2018."