Upper Mole River Dam

A new rockfill dam at Upper Mole River will deliver improved water security and environmental benefits for NSW and QLD.

Background

WaterNSW has released a 20-year infrastructure options study for rural river valleys which addresses future challenges in operating regulated river systems. The objective of the study was to guide water infrastructure investment by all levels of government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian have announced a jointly funded package of around $1bn for the planning and delivery of three new or augmented dams in NSW. This includes $24m for a Final Business Case for building a new dam on Mole River, in the Border Rivers region of NSW.

The Border Rivers is a large catchment that services both NSW and QLD users. Its water supply is serviced by three relatively small catchment dams and large on-farm storages. A new dam will have the potential to secure more water in flood sequences so that in drier times more water would be available to communities, agriculture, and the environment.

Key benefits

Enables sustained on-farm productivity as a result of more reliable and secure water supply
Increased reliability for agricultural production will help secure existing jobs and create new opportunities
Will improve security of town water supply and provide flood mitigation
Potential benefits for the downstream Barwon-Darling system through increased flow reliability and associated environmental health outcomes
Benefits are shared between QLD and NSW

Estimated project timeline

2020 Community engagement commences
Year One Concept Design & Environmental Assessment
End of Year Two Project Determination
Year Three Detailed Design and Pre-Construction enabling work
From Year Four Dam construction

Construction is expected to take 2-4 years, dependent on design.

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Upper Mole River Dam