Tillegra Dam proposal

Tillegra Dam was a proposed dam on the Williams River to be located 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Dungog, in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It was first proposed in the 1970s but a formal proposal was not announced until 2006. Community opposition and changing needs saw the end of the proposal in November 2010. Hunter Water divested itself of its Tillegra landholding in 2015, permanently ending the proposal.^[1]

Tillegra Dam
Location of the proposed Tillegra dam
Country	Australia
Location	20 km (12 mi) NW of Dungog, New South Wales
Coordinates	32°19′13″S 151°41′10″E
Status	Cancelled
Construction cost	A$477 million (est)
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Williams River
Height	80 m (262 ft)
Length	800 m (2,625 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	450,000 megalitres (360,000 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	194 km2 (75 sq mi)
Surface area	21 km2 (8.1 sq mi)
Website hunterwater.com.au

Overview

The Tillegra Dam was first proposed by Hunter Water in the 1970s, but was deferred indefinitely in the 1980s due to the success of user pays pricing.^[2] On 13 November 2006, the NSW Government announced proposals for a A$300 million dam at Tillegra to supply water to the Lower Hunter Region and Central Coast. The justification for the dam was based primarily on climate change and population growth in the Hunter Region.^[3]

Opposition

The No Tillegra Dam Group was formed to prevent the building of the dam. Opponents claimed the dam proposal was grossly excessive for need, will drown valuable agricultural land and greater water efficiency, demand management and recycling would eliminate the need for the dam.^[4]

Cancellation

On 28 November 2010. Premier Kristina Keneally announced the cancellation of the dam after the Planning Minister refused to approve it.^[5] The refusal was based on both the potential for environmental damage and the lack of proper consideration of alternative water security measures.^[6] The state government had already spent $100 million on the project.

Statistics

• Height of dam wall: 80 m (262 ft)
• Length of dam wall: 800 m (2,625 ft)
• Surface area: 21 km² (8.1 sq mi)
• Length of lake: 10 km (6 mi)
• Total capacity: 450 gigalitres
• Average flow of Williams River: 94 gigalitres per annum.^[7]
• Estimated Cost: A$477 million (as of April 2010)