Published on Wednesday, 29 January 2020 at 1:54:49 PM
Over 200 people attended the community water meeting in Denmark last night to discuss the Albany to Denmark pipeline, its proposed route and the future of Denmark’s water security.
Water Minister Dave Kelly, Member for Warren-Blackwood Terry Redman MLA, Water Corporation and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) spoke at the meeting held at the Denmark Riverside Club and discussed the impact of climate change on Denmark’s water supply and the decision-making behind the September 2019 pipeline announcement.
The proposed route will see the gravity-fed pipeline connect to Albany’s water scheme at the Chorkerup Tank in Albany, then follow the road reserve west along Wilcox Road, Redmond Road West, Kernutts Road, and a small section of Denmark-Mount Barker Road, connecting to the existing tank at Scotsdale which supplies Denmark’s water.
A local ecologist assisted in the development of the proposed route, conducting surveys of flora and fauna, and advising on issues such as rare flora identification, dieback and hygiene management plans and black cockatoo habitats.
Water Corporation have consulted with landowners who also helped identify the proposed route which will run along existing firebreaks, road reserves and open paddocks.
At the meeting Water Corporation representatives said that from mid-2019 rainfall was the second lowest on record and while water carting did not go ahead over the summer, the ongoing dry conditions require an urgent solution to avoid extensive carting in the future.
Water Corporation said the pipeline was the best option for securing Denmark’s long term water supply and the decision took into account options and feedback gathered from past community consultations in 2010 and 2015.
Minister Kelly said at the meeting that after reviewing all the options he was confident the pipeline was the right choice.
Councillor Jan Lewis, who pushed for the meeting following the September announcement, facilitated the evening and said it was great to see such a large turnout.
“It was great to see so many people attend to hear the detailed and informative presentations. I understand there are still questions and the dialogue can continue via the upcoming community information sessions.
“I think our community effectively demonstrated to all the relevant stake holders the value of ongoing engagement with us on such issues.”
DWER will soon release a new water allocation plan for the Albany aquifer for public consultation. This will detail the long-term sustainable yield of the aquifer.
Construction of the pipeline will begin in mid-2020 and completed anticipated by early 2021.
Water Corporation will run a series of community information sessions throughout February at the Denmark Library with dates now advertised via Water Corporation’s online engagement portal.
The community can provide feedback on the proposed route and current water saving initiatives or register for contractor opportunities via the portal.
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