Mr WOOD - 2006-03-29
Last year at a public meeting in the rural area, there was a lot of concern about water usage and whether there is enough water in Darwin River Dam to supply Darwin and the surrounds. At the same meeting last year, it was stated that the government was looking at building the Warri Dam upstream from Adelaide River in 2030. What is the present capacity of Darwin River Dam and does the government intend to raise the height of the wall at the Darwin River Dam? How far advanced is planning for the Warri Dam; that is, design, land acquisition, land rights, native title and sacred sites? Is the government looking at bringing forward the date of construction of that dam?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I point out that it has been raining pretty heavily just recently, member for Nelson and, as a result of that late Wet Season rain, Darwin River Dam’s current storage is at 86.6%, I have been told. At the beginning of the Wet Season, my advice from Power and Water was that if we had another poor or a dry Wet this year then, possibly, we could be looking at water restrictions in Darwin. However, as a result of a pretty normal Wet Season and a good late burst, we have the dam at 86.6% capacity compared to 80.9% for the same time last year.
A consultancy has been let to look at the feasibility of raising the walls for the height of the dam so we can capture more water. We are waiting on the results of that consultancy. Obviously, it is an engineering issue as well as a cost issue. The latest advice I have based on current demand and projections is that a new dam is unlikely to be required in Darwin for 15 to 20 years. Therefore, we are not greatly advanced on making those assessments. An interim potential solution - given the growing economy here in Darwin and the expanding population - is to raise the walls for the height of the dam. However, a new dam for Darwin is many years away; there is a lot of planning to be done. Thank goodness we have had a decent Wet this year and the dam is at 86.6% capacity.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I point out that it has been raining pretty heavily just recently, member for Nelson and, as a result of that late Wet Season rain, Darwin River Dam’s current storage is at 86.6%, I have been told. At the beginning of the Wet Season, my advice from Power and Water was that if we had another poor or a dry Wet this year then, possibly, we could be looking at water restrictions in Darwin. However, as a result of a pretty normal Wet Season and a good late burst, we have the dam at 86.6% capacity compared to 80.9% for the same time last year.
A consultancy has been let to look at the feasibility of raising the walls for the height of the dam so we can capture more water. We are waiting on the results of that consultancy. Obviously, it is an engineering issue as well as a cost issue. The latest advice I have based on current demand and projections is that a new dam is unlikely to be required in Darwin for 15 to 20 years. Therefore, we are not greatly advanced on making those assessments. An interim potential solution - given the growing economy here in Darwin and the expanding population - is to raise the walls for the height of the dam. However, a new dam for Darwin is many years away; there is a lot of planning to be done. Thank goodness we have had a decent Wet this year and the dam is at 86.6% capacity.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016