MONTHS of lobbying from Bathurst Regional Council looks set to reap dividends with the state government promising to fast-track its bid to have local water security projects included on the critical needs list.
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The commitment from Bathurst MP Paul Toole means council's proposed stormwater harvesting and Winburndale pipeline projects could be included on the list within weeks.
Under the temporary Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act introduced in November last year, regional towns and cities can be declared a "critical supply area", making them eligible for faster planning and environmental assessments for water infrastructure.
Confirmation that Bathurst would be included on the list comes just days after Councillor Warren Aubin went public with his frustration over "bureaucratic bungling" that he claimed was holding up essential water security projects.
Mr Toole said declaring Bathurst under schedule 1 of the Act recognised the urgency in securing water supply for the region.
"Recent rain in some parts of NSW has provided much needed relief for many drought-stricken regions, but Bathurst has missed out on those falls and is still at risk," Mr Toole said.
"With little relief from the drought predicted, we recognise urgent action is needed for Bathurst and we will do what we can to accelerate the environmental planning assessment times on these proposed infrastructure projects.
"Bathurst Regional Council is considering two options for securing long-term water supply, including stormwater harvesting and a pipeline from Winburndale Dam to the water filtration plant."
Cr Aubin told the Western Advocate last week that council's projects were "shovel ready" and just waiting for the green light from the state government.
"To actually be sitting here waiting for somebody to say 'Yeah, you can start', it seems ridiculous," he said.
"I can't see why we aren't allowed to start. I want people to know it's not council holding things up."
It is expected that formal listing on the schedules for Bathurst will take a few more weeks as the regulations still need to be drafted.
From there, listings will need to be signed off by Water Minister Melinda Pavey and Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean before being recommended to NSW Governor Margaret Beazley for approval.
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