Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill has slammed the announcement by the NSW Government today to declare the dam wall raising project state significant.
Mayor Greenhill said: "For this announcement to occur the day after World Animal Day, a day that focuses on improving the welfare of animals around the world, is both ironic and sad.
"Make no mistake, a decision to raise the dam wall is a decision to flood part of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, to devastate Aboriginal cultural heritage, and to bring endangered species to the brink of destruction.
"The Regent Honeyeater exists in very few places outside the area of the Blue Mountains that will be flooded by this proposal. This is a decision that brings the very existence of this species to the edge of total extinction.
"Raising the Warragamba Dam wall is also a conscious move that places world heritage of the Blue Mountains at risk. That will risk our local economy and jobs because many overseas tourists come to our area based on our World Heritage status.
"Raising Warragamba Dam wall will do nothing to protect residents from flooding in the face of the oncoming La Niña event because the dam wall will not be raised for some years. In fact, raising the dam wall will have minimal effect when it does occur because much of the flooding happens down stream of Warragamba. This is nothing more than a political move that has very little real effect and simply seeks to cover up the years of neglect.
"Proper flood escape routes, grading of roads, a buy-back scheme for homes in the flood plain and no further development in flood prone areas is critical. These are real solutions that a sensible government would employ.
"Raising Warragamba Dam wall as some sort of panacea is nothing but a con job. Even the Insurance Council of Australia has condemned this plan.
"A decision to raise Warragamba Dam wall won't have a material positive impact on flooding in the Hawkesbury, it will devastate the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, bring species to the edge of destruction, and devastate Aboriginal cultural heritage, but it might make certain developers smile.
"At the end of the day this is much more about over developing the flood plain than it is about flood mitigation," Mayor Greenhill concluded.
Photo: Attendees at Community Forum opposing the raising of Warragamba Dam wall, November 2019.
