Digital connectivity, the shortage of housing and the airspace around Burrendong Dam were on the table for discussion at the recent meeting in Nyngan of the for the newly formed Alliance of Western Councils (AWC). 

The new alliance was formed in late 2021 when it became apparent the Orana Joint Organisation of Councils, which had been formed in 2017 following an Act of NSW Parliament, was unworkable. 

AWC Chair, Narromine Mayor Craig Davies said the new grouping was more loosely based on the former Orana Region of Councils model, which was in place before the Joint Organisatiion was formed. 

The 13 Councils which form the new alliance stretch from Mid-Western (Mudgee) through to Walgett and Central Darling (Wilcannia) and include Dubbo Regional, Bogan, Warren, Gilgandra, Narromine, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Coonamble and Warrumbungle Councils– covering a combined area of around 30 percent of NSW.

The Nyngan meeting was the second held by the AWC since its inception and was attended by Mayors and General Managers from the member councils, and addressed by the Hon Dugald Saunders MP, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western New South Wales on a range of matters. 

Mr Davies said a key motion to come out of the meeting was the request for an increase to be made to level at which Burrendong Dam is considered to be at 100 percent capacity. 

Burrendong Dam stores water upstream of the Macquarie Valley and if the flood mitigation zone (air space) around the storage is utilised it can technically hold around 160 per cent of its designated capacity.   

The release of excess water downstream is activated once the water rises above 100pc and enters the flood zone.   

Mr Davies said by increasing the level at which the dam is considered to be 100 per cent full to around the current 120pc, the decision to release overflow water downstream may be deferred, or at least spread over a longer period, to prevent the flooding of agricultural crops, rural roads and even communities such as Dubbo, Narromine and Warren. 

“By dropping the amount of water released per day from 28Ml to 22Ml a day, could mean there will be less affect to the floodplain downstream,” Mr Davies said. 

"The option of maintaining the dam at 120pc should only be maintained in times of favourable forecasts. This would not include the present with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting higher than average rainfall during spring, the likelihood of reduced drawdown on irrigation entitlements due to on farm storages at capacity and the paddocks being currently at field capacity in terms of water retention levels." 

He said downstream releases from Burrendong in wet years such as 2022 when all downstream storages were full and ground was already saturated, had the potential to cause devastating damage. 

Narromine Mayor Craig Davies is chair of the Alliance of Western Councils.

Other common issues such as the shortage of available housing, and the need for better digital connectivity, were also discussed at the Nyngan meeting. 

Mr Davies believes western NSW is well situated for development, given its safe climate compared with the flood and fire prone coastal and eastern regions, and the affordable price of land. 

Further, the construction of major infrastructure assets through the regions such as the Inland Rail, and a continual growth in the mining sector had also resulted in the region becoming more attractive for manufacturing and associated industry. 

Mr Davies said communities such as Mudgee, Dubbo and Narromine were all expanding quickly and the shortage of housing was especially apparent. 

He also said there was a role for the AWC to lobby Governments for legislation such as the Biodiversity Act to be tailored for those “west of the Newell” regions to enable development to be more cost effective. 

The lagging digital connectivity across Western NSW was also seen as an impediment to economic and community development. Dawdling internet speeds and mobile blackspots were not conducive to attracting population or business and Mr Davies said the AWC would lobby for an improvement.   

Mr Davies said he was optimistic the AWC would become a useful and effective collaboration of Councils which would help achieve valuable outcomes for western NSW. 

All but one of the member Councils (Central Darling) were previously members of the Orana Region of Councils (OROC) which was replaced when NSW Parliament passed the Local Government Amendment (Regional Joint Organisations) Act 2017. 

This resulted in a network of joint organisations (JOs) across NSW- local government entities with legal powers to enable councils to work together at a regional level and with state agencies and other organisations to achieve better planning, economic development and service delivery outcomes in regional NSW.  

The former Orana group was divided, with Bourke, Cobar and Walgett forming the North west JO, which still exists, and Bogan, Warren, Gilgandra, Narromine, Mid Western and Warrumbungle forming the Orana JO. 

Dubbo Regional Council, Coonamble and Brewarrina all chose not to join any JO.  

In 2021 all members of the Orana JO resigned. The group found it challenging to be relevant and economically viable without representation from Dubbo – the geographic and economic centre of the region. Under the Regional Joint Organisation Act, each JO was subject to similar integrated planning and reporting to Local Government, including audits.   

"The AWC was formed due to the unsustainability of the JO that was imposed in us by a Government and a Minister completely out of touch with matters in the west of the state." 

Mr Davies said the new AWC was a more informal grouping, and there was no planning and reporting requirements – or the need to employ an executive officer. 

Any costs are covered from membership contributions from the member councils.