FAQs
Water Security was added to the Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) Strategy works in 2019.
Options to Raise Malpas spillway endorsed by Council May 2021 but identified it would not be enough to meet our water demands.
March 2022 council endorsed Water Security Strategy being: Option 1 - Oaky River Dam 25ML/Day + 6.5metre raising of Malpas
October 2022 council committed to co-fund the Water Security pre-construction works (concept & detailed Design)
February 2023 Public Works Advisory were engaged to undertake Water Security pre-construction works (concept & detailed Design). Now complete.
Oaky River Dam restoration is Priority #1: Council purchased the dam in January 2023 and is actively working to restore it. This includes repairing the dam wall and building a pipeline to Armidale, with an application underway to obtain development approval for these critical works. . It’s the fastest way to bring a new water source online and reduce our Category 5 risk status.
Malpas Dam upgrades to closely follow: Once Oaky is operational, Council will seek to raise the Malpas Dam spillway and renew its pipeline. This will more than double its capacity and improve long-term resilience
Funding and lobbying are ongoing: Council continues to lobby state and federal governments for funding. These projects are expensive and complex, but they are being staged carefully to avoid repeating the crisis of 2019.
Why it matters: Without these upgrades, the Armidale Region cannot support its current population, let alone grow. Projects like the New England Renewable Energy Zone (NEREZ) depend on water security. Council is fighting for this community’s future, and water infrastructure is at the heart of that fight.
- Environmental approvals
- Funding from state and federal governments
- Community consultation (planned for 2025–2027)
We are heading to another drought yet there has nothing been done to create new infrastructure for the areas in which ARC is responsible for. This should be priority #1 and poses a significant risk to the town.
The 2019 drought was devastating, and Council recognises that water security is the single most critical issue facing Armidale.
Here’s what’s has been & is being done:
What is Council doing to change water habits?
Council is taking real steps to help people use water more wisely:
Digital meters for households: Council started to roll out ultrasonic digital water meters across Armidale Region. These give more accurate readings and help residents monitor their water use
Education: Council is using tools like the Armidale Water Portal Walk through to help people track usage and is sharing tips through newsletters like Guyra Gazette.
Water rate increase: Council has previously increased water rates to reflect the true cost of delivering water and to encourage more efficient use. Higher rates for heavy users are being considered to push for leak fixes and better water-saving practices
Why still invest in infrastructure?
Even with better habits, Armidale’s current water supply can’t meet future demand—especially with growth from the New England Renewable Energy Zone. That’s why Council is also restoring Oaky River Dam and planning to raise Malpas Dam
A possible alternative: What would it cost to provide every house in Armidale with , say, a 5000 litre tank, and require householders to use only that water in their gardens?
If every household in Armidale were provided with a 5,000-litre rainwater tank, the estimated cost would be around $15 million, based on an average of $1,500 per tank, not including installation across approximately 10,000 households. A tank rebate could be a great step toward reducing pressure on mains water—especially if households were encouraged to use tank water for their gardens. However, not enough to mitigate against a drought of the magnitude of 2017-2019, nor is it enough to combat the drier periods forecast over the coming decades. That said, any conservation measure is positive if it relieves pressure on our dam storage. This idea aligns well with Council’s long-term water conservation goals—just like we did during the 2019 drought by offering water tank rebates, which we are currently offering and will continue into the next financial year.
What Stage are we at?
· Council has completed:
· Source investigations
· Secure yield modelling of the identified alternate source
· Options comparison
· Adoption of a Water Security Strategy
· Completion of Detailed Design
· Preparation of Environmental Approval documentation
Malpas Dam is included in the strategic plan for upgrade. This is part of Stage 2 of Council’s water security roadmap, which complements Stage 1: the restoration of Oaky River Dam and construction of a pipeline to Armidale.
Oaky River Dam is a strategic investment that adds diversity and reliability to our water supply. It was purchased in 2023 and is being restored to its original capacity of 2.78 GL. Unlike Malpas, Oaky offers a more frequent rainfall catchment and steeper topography, making it a valuable long-term asset.
Council is actively lobbying for funding and progressing environmental approvals to ensure both projects are delivered to protect our region from future droughts. We welcome your continued engagement and ideas as we work together to build a resilient water future.
What's the delay?
Council is waiting on:
This is urgent and the Council is pushing for these to get started.
The decision has been made and the strategy adopted by council.
How far are we away from increasing the height on Malpas Dam? And will it be completed before Oaky Dam is repaired ?
The detailed design works are complete for Oaky Dam restoration, pipeline from Oaky to Armidale WTP and raising Malpas Dam spillway. We have now commenced the environmental assessment process for our Water Security Proposal comprising the two dams and pipeline, which will take around 2 years through Planning NSW to obtain approval.
The Water Security Strategy staging is:
Stage 1 – Restoration of Oaky River Dam and pipeline to Armidale before any work begins on raising the spillway at Malpas Dam.
Stage 2 – Raising of Malpas Dam spillway. Once Oaky is operational, Council will begin raising Malpas Dam by 6.5 metres. This will more than double its capacity and improve drought resilience. However, construction at Malpas requires lowering water levels and taking the dam offline for 3+ months which is only feasible once Oaky can supplement supply.
Why this order matters: Oaky River Dam can be operational while Malpas Dam is taken offline for raising works. This will ensure Armidale has a secure water supply while the main supply dam is unavailable. Further, Oaky River Dam has a more pristine reliable catchment with higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates. It can feed water to Armidale and eventually top-up Malpas Dam, making it a critical support system during the construction of Malpas Dam and future droughts.
Residents were originally told Malpas Dam would support future growth, yet it is now said to be insufficient even at current population levels.
While it’s true that early projections suggested Malpas Dam could support a population of 50,000 (and potentially more with wall height increases), those estimates didn’t account for the realities we face today—like climate change, reduced rainfall, and increased per capita water use. Even if the dam was raised, current modelling shows Malpas would still fall short of meeting modern demand, as was the case in 2019. It’s also worth noting that while Malpas performed well during past droughts like those in the 1980s and 1990s, the 2017–2019 drought was far more severe. Guyra ran out of water completely, and at one point, and Council had to truck in supplies daily—something that had never been done before. Armidale had just 30% in Malpas and spent many months on level 5 water restrictions – also something that has never occurred before.
As for the funding, Council was promised $27 million from the NSW Government to raise the Malpas wall. This promise never came to fruition, and the money was never received (see LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Thursday 24 October 2024 Section 4327, item 3668. First, Oaky River Dam is being restored to modern Dam Safety standards to provide a reliable water supply. While this supply is advantageous to draw upon while Malpas is upgraded, the primary purpose for restoration is to ensure enough supply for the LGA due to the catchment performing better in rainfall and streamflow volume than the Malpas catchment. The claim that Oaky Dam Wall failed due to substandard materials isn’t supported by current engineering reports—it had a sensor failure at the gates which caused the dam to overtop, and this was what washed the earth filled wall to the side of the gates away. And yes, water levels at Malpas will need to be lowered slightly and the dam taken offline for a period to upgrade the outlet pipework and valving during construction, which is why the sequencing with Oaky is advantageous.
While it may feel like things are out of control, you can rest assured that a combination of studies from industry experts and support from state government agencies have helped produce a staged plan, backed by a thorough analysis of options, rainfall and streamflow data, detailed engineers' designs, and assessments —to secure Armidale’s water now and into the future.
Why include Oaky River Dam? How much extra water would Oaky provide?
The restored Oaky River Dam will add approximately 2,780 megalitres (ML) of storage. While smaller than Malpas Dam (12,266ML), The Oaky Dam catchment is more reliable due to higher rainfall, steeper terrain and shade from vegetation. This is the reason it was selected and used as a hydroelectric power generator in the past.
It fills far more often, allowing sufficient water yield to service the current population, as well as preparing the region for a growing population.
Raising Malpas Dam wall on its own will only achieve approximately 80% of the water security service our current population and not enough for any growth or any increase in population.
A new pipeline will be built from Oaky Dam to the Armidale Water Treatment Plant. This connection is a key part of Council’s Stage 1 water security strategy.
This staged approach includes:
§ Stage 1: Restore Oaky Dam and build the pipeline to Armidale.
§ Stage 2: Raise Malpas Dam by 6.5 metres and upgrade its pipeline.
Together, these upgrades will help meet current and future demand—including for Closed Environment Horticulture (CEH), population growth, and the New England Renewable Energy Zone (NEREZ).
Securing the regions water supplies before the next drought is critical. In early 2022, soon after the drought had eased and the relevant source investigations had been completed, Council adopted a staged water security strategy that includes both the restoration of Oaky River Dam and the raising of Malpas Dam.
This strategy was developed in consultation with NSW Public Works, who undertook the investigations and developed solutions along with the water industry regulator, and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
These projects require significant investigation, planning, environmental approvals, design and funding commitments.
Whilst the timing of the onset of the next drought is not known, the progress on securing the regions water supplies has progressed considerably.
Is the intention to also restore the hydro-electric capability of the dam as well as investigating other potential sites along the gorge area?
Council’s acquisition of the dam in 2023 was driven not only by water security needs but also by its potential to contribute to renewable energy generation. The Water Security Proposal, currently undergoing environmental assessment, includes the re-instatement of the Oaky River Dam hydropower station which will be made possible by restoring the dam wall.
The feasibility of a number of Renewable Energy Generation Projects, including an upgrade to the Oaky River hydropower, station will be undertaken to help offset the costs of running the system in alignment with Goal F2.2 of the Community Plan – A Clean, green, and responsible region – Promote and increase use and awareness of renewable resources and alternative energy sources.
Does the project include Bullock Creek pumping station? and the licenses for the diversion of water from the Clarence Catchment?
Council are currently in discussion with Essential Energy as this wasn’t included in the Dam purchase.
The region will have to recycle waste water if it allows population growth-There is no other option as small increases in catchment holdings will not work against increasing drought frequency.
Recycling treated effluent has been investigated but is not viable at this time. We currently utilise as much as we can on council’s Effluent Reuse Farm which produces top quality fodder that is sold as a reasonable rate.
Why Costas tomato farm is not water self-sufficient?
The newer tomato farm, located further north of Guyra, only takes town water for domestic use and harvests all their water into onsite dams where it is used for irrigation of their crops.
The original tomato farm, off Elm St, was approved with the approval to use the existing water supply for its operations.
This facility has made some improvements/changes over the years, and are in the process of diversifying their crops, but still rely on town supply for irrigation.
Why is our water provided to them (Costa) at less cost than local residents.
The rate is less for volumes of water over 150Ml per year. This volume has been set to make it more affordable/viable to emerging industry and large businesses to locate in our region. These businesses provide employment, which of course flows onto local business community in terms of secondary jobs and dollars spent as well as contributing to community vibrancy and diversity.
How much water is planned for Closed Environment Horticulture (CEH)?
Council’s water plan includes enough supply to support 125 hectares of new CEH (protected horticulture), along with other future growth.