Independent candidate for Farrer Michelle Milthorpe visited Narrandera last week. Photo: Michelle Milthorpe.
Independent candidate for the federal seat of Farrer Michelle Milthorpe has joined the growing chorus to lobby for a feasibility study on transforming Lake Coolah and Lake Mejum near Narrandera into a water storage site, which advocates say could “drought proof” the region.
However, the NSW Government has still not come to the table to fund the study, despite repeated requests.
Ms Milthorpe also criticised the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to buy back water from irrigators, which it says will help restore the health of the river system.
“Instead of doubling down on a lazy policy that strips water from producers in regional Australia, why aren’t we putting real effort into solutions that could work?” she said.
“Earlier this week I visited Narrandera and stopped by Lake Coolah — a site with real potential to help secure water for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. The local council, with support from surrounding local government areas, has requested a feasibility study into using Lake Coolah as an additional water storage facility. I support this study.
“Water storage and shortages are becoming a wicked problem, and we need to seriously investigate solutions like this.”
Could Lake Coolah, near Narrandera, become the site of a dam? Photo: Showcasing the Riverina Facebook.
Riverina councils and irrigators have urged government to consider creating a channel to make the two natural lakes located 12 km from Narrandera a permanent 50,000 megalitre dam.
Narrandera Council made its latest pitch to government to fund the feasibility study in November 2024 and this was backed up by a joint call to do the same from Griffith City Council and the Griffith Business Chamber. Leeton Council has also supported the push.
Winery boss Darren De Bortoli put the question directly to NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriaty when she visited Griffith last week.
“We are after a million dollars for a feasibility study into Lake Coolah. That’s a no-brainer … it ticks all the boxes … it effectively means that it’s a 900-gigalitre solution to the water issues. If the NSW Government was to do that it would be a vote of great confidence in this region,” he said.
Region asked Minister Moriaty if she would consider funding the feasibility study, but she did not respond.
Councils, farmers and various government bodies have been pushing for the Lake Coolah and Lake Mejum solution for 45 years, without success.
In 1980, a NSW Government body called the Water Resources Commission published a paper outlining the benefits of a Lake Mejum water storage scheme and what was needed to make it happen.
“The concept of the Lake Mejum Scheme is based on the utilisation of water derived by diversion to the lakes of surplus Murrumbidgee River flows arising from spills and other storages, contributions from downtown tributaries, oversupply and irrigation cutbacks. Additionally, the presence of a large body of water in close proximity to the centre of demand will further increase the efficiency of utilisation of the present resources of the Murrumbidgee River,” the paper stated.
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