FARMERS, environmental and community groups will lobby state and federal politicians after voicing their opposition to the proposed Needles Gap Dam on the Belubula River this week.
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About 120 people gathered in Orange on Tuesday night to discuss the proposed dam and what they could do to stop it from proceeding.
Speakers included Central West Environment Council president Cilla Kinross as well as Nature Conservation Council campaign manager Daisy Barham who discussed the environment election platform for the 2015 state election.
Inland Rivers Network president Bev Smiles discussed the impact the dam would have on the Lachlan River and Basin Plan, Bruce Welch from the Save Cliefden Caves Association discussed the threat to the limestone caves system and Neville Landcare Group chairwoman Lisa Paton discussed landholder impacts and concerns.
“Conservation groups are appalled by the Needles Gap Dam proposal because of the damage it will do to the beautiful Belubula River, the Cliefden Caves and prime farmland,” Ms Barham said.
“The Belubula flows into the Lachlan River, a major system in the Murray Darling Basin, which has significant wetlands in the lower catchment. Putting another dam on the Belubula will add more stress to an already-degraded system, with cascading impacts on the environment and landholders downstream.”
Ms Smiles said she was pleased with the turnout and that it reinforced people’s opposition to the proposed $150 million dam.
“People were keen to know what they could do, the suggestion was that they need to be talking to the government and that it would be important for it to be on the agenda for the next election,” she said.
tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au