"Federal Member for Calare John Cobb has today {21 Jan 2014] called for the construction of a new dam in the central west, as the solution to the lack of water storage, and addressing job losses in our region.

Mr Cobb has proposed the construction of a 90,000ML dam at Needles Gap near Canowindra, and today called on the State and Federal governments to back the plan.

“We need this Needles Dam project now more than ever,” Mr Cobb said."

http://www.johncobb.com.au/MediaHub/FederalRounds/tabid/90/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2198/Cobb-pushes-for-new-dam-project.aspx
This was raised again on the ABC a few days ago.
The building of this dam would destroy significant limestone caves and is bound to be opposed, initially $3,000,000 would be spent on a feasibility study.
Anyone see a glaringly obvious reason why a $3 million study is not needed?

Well, what I hope, not to see, is a repeat of the Traverston debacle whereby our then premier, Anna Bligh, went off on a tangent, bought up all the land, displaced many families and farmers, then leased some farms back at ridiculous rates, (one case being a farm bought for ten million, has been leased back to the seller for about a thousand a year until the dam construction starts.

Now that's fine, except in all her wisdom, she forgot the most important step in the process, gaining federal environmental approval, which was later denied by the then enviro minister, Mr Garrett.

So, some $600 million later, we have no dam and no interest in anyone buying the land back at anywhere near what she paid. In fact, Campbell Newman is reported to be trying to force the guy with the ten mill in the bank to surrender his lease and buy the land back. Yer right!

So I hope for your sake your premier has a bit more experience about them and doesn't go off half cocked like Bligh did. Of cause they don't care because it's not as if their still up effect their set for life pensions, is it.

I've found the following link on the web
which may be of interest:

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/2365057

Is Mise,

Meaney!

That $3m is only a drop in the bucket where aboriginal cultural significance is being investigated, along with those cave-dwelling bats they didn't get around to eating.

How very politically correct of all so far not to mention any of that too! Self censorship, 'free-speech-as-long-as-no-certified-victim-group-is-upset' IS modern Oz that is for sure.

Heh, heh, the ABC 'fact checkers' waiting in the wings are keeping their big spoon for stirring well buffed. First let the dam proposers walk into the killing field, plumb square in the sights of that big wooden spoon and then let them have it, fair up the Khyber, as is its style. So 'Progressive' it hurts.

On Traverston
That dam had been investigated, reviewed and discussed to exhaustion. It is very strange that while both governments involved were Labor, no-one had even thought to say 'Whoa there!'. It might help to remind that the federal minister, a clown called Peter Garrett made his 'final' decision (?!) after the Queensland government had already resumed land. The forced second option had an environmental impact too and wasted millions of dollars.

After the dam was shelved, only the anti-dam victors got to write the history and most fulsome they were in their own praise and self-righteous justification, too. They excluded such minor details as the regular flooding soon after that devastated homes, property and crops. The antis also failed to mention the over-zealous immigration policies of the same federal government that require enormous expenditure by States on new infrastructure, particularly water and energy. Compartmentalised minds with blinkers on are convenient.

Is Mise, it is only taxpayers' money and there is far more where that comes from for the guvvy gravy train to keep on going, apparently. So never you mind, hear? Be sure to bend over for the privilege.

OTB,

As I asked, "Anyone see a glaringly obvious reason why a $3 million study is not needed?" apart from there being better dam sites in NSW and if we need water, and we do; how about sending some of that Nth Qld coastal river water inland?

"how about sending some of that Nth Qld coastal river water inland?"

'Initiatives', such as starting fires with a home insulation scheme come first.

Redirecting any water will see the very same serial activists and political interests coming out of the woodwork again. The sad *bleeps* with personal defiance disorder who seek personal vindication and 5 minutes of fame out of making 'authority' back down.

Here's another link that suggests why the dam should not
go ahead:

http://www.change.org/p/the-hon-rob-gordon-stokes-save-the-cliefden-caves-nsw-from-flooding-by-a-proposed-dam

I just hope that those who oppose the building of dams on the basis that some inaccessible-to-the-public caves will be flooded, are not the same people who complain about successive governments' failure to provide a plentiful water supply. Being a playground for random geologists is far less valuable to the community, I would suggest, in both the short and the long term.

I'd be more sympathetic if they came up with a viable alternative, and were prepared to support it (i.e. pay for it)

Pericles,

Undoubtedly the caves would eventually be opened to the public.
The caves are the main reason why no money need be spent on any studies,the caves were formed by the passage of water; limestone country is generally very porus and there is every likelihood that a dam built there would not hold water.
Any farmer who has had to buy clay to seal a small dam on his property could tell them that.

"Location

Location is important because the foundation of a dam must be laid down in a stable location. Strong, impermeable bedrock provides a solid base for foundations. Porous stone, such as limestone, will not work for dams because reservoir water will seep out through the stone."
http://simscience.org/cracks/advanced/damplanning.html

That there are caves there only makes it worse, the water that carved them out had to go somewhere.

It looks like a grandstanding politician is trying to win votes.

Forget the trust of this thread.
The simple fact is that we should never stop building dams regardless of whatever or whoever the minority is.
We can never have too much water.

Not if the water runs out through the bottom, Chris.

I do believe that other water solutions are on offer
and that is the main reason for the feasibility
study - to provide alternatives.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/fears-cliefden-caves-will-be-destroyed-by-needles-gap-dam-near-canowindra-20140616-zs8wf.html

It will be very difficult to justify the construction of the Needles Gap Dam from either an economic or environmental perspective. When Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham attempted to question the Nationals Minster Duncan Gay on potential users of the dam, Jeremy was ejected from the Legislative Council by President Don Harwin, after a fiery exchange during Question Time.

Mr Buckingham asked Minister Duncan Gay to name one potential user of the proposed Needles Gap Dam. Mr Gay quoted from an anonymous online commenter on a Central Western Daily article called 'Leafman' who wrote: "We just cannot go back to running around the bush with spears and boomerangs!"

Jeremy said "It's offensive for the Leader of the Government in the House to use what is clearly a racial slur to attack those who question the need for this dam. It made my blood boil to hear representatives of the government use that kind of offensive language to make a political point. By all means criticise the Greens, but to use this racial slur is utterly wrong. It's astonishing that the Minister had to resort to quoting from an anonymous online troll to justify a $150 million dam. The government still cannot state exactly who will use this dam and what it is for."

Gay should have withdrawn the statement and apologised, then answer the question, Gay failed on both those scores

The disgraceful behaviour of Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham is not something he nor the Greens can be proud of.

Beach, there was nothing disgraceful about Jeremy trying to question Gay about this loco idea of a dam, something as an elected MP he has every right to do. What is disgraceful is the way the 'raciest' Gay resorted to quoting from an anonymous raciest internet troll 'leafman' and the complicit actions of Harwin.
Your own racial cynicism can be seen in the comment << That $3m is only a drop in the bucket where aboriginal cultural significance is being investigated>> and << more where that comes from for the guvvy gravy train to keep on going, apparently. So never you mind, hear? Be sure to bend over for the privilege.>> No doubt you and 'leafman' would have many thoughts in common when it comes to our indigenous people.

As is well known I'm no lover of the Greens but in this case I support Jeremy Buckingham all the way.

Jeez!! A piece of sky just fell!

Is Mise, and to think you and I were going to swap preferences at the next election. LOL. This is so ridiculous that the best Gay the minister could come up with, when talking about a $150M project was quoting from an anonymous wombat called 'leafman' real 'Yes Minister' stuff Jim Hacker will never be dead while ever Duncan Gay is a minister.

Paul1405,

As you said yourself, "Jeremy was ejected from the Legislative Council by President Don Harwin, after a fiery exchange during Question Time".

He showed disrespect for the President and from the President's comments it was not his first time.

If members do not respect the Chair how can there be orderly discussion and progress? Or is it that the Greens do not think that the rules should apply to them?

Respect, is something earned, like Bishop in Canberra, Harwin in the NSW LC is biased in favor of his own mob. Failed to call Gay to heel after a disgraceful racists slur. Greens MP's are answerable to the good people who elect them, no a trumped up conservative popinjay like Harwin. We are most fortunate in NSW to have a strong team of Greens MP's in the LC, where this corrupt government can be held to account, something that cannot be relied upon from the equally corrupt Labor opposition.