26th March, 2026.
Debate resumed from 19 March 2026.
I resume my second reading speech on the Water NSW Amendment (Warragamba Dam) Bill 2026. As I previously said in this House, I hope to draw a distinction between the previously debated poor plans to raise the dam wall at Warragamba and giving WaterNSW the right to use the current dam for flood mitigation downstream. To be clear, at the moment the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal [IPART] requires the dam to be 100 per cent for water storage. This change allows it to be lowered if IPART knows a flood event is on its way, to prevent huge inundation downstream without the need to raise the dam wall. To summarise, the bill is to amend the Water NSW Act 2014 to repeal provisions relating to Warragamba Dam and will authorise WaterNSW to operate Warragamba Dam to facilitate downstream flood mitigation and for related purposes. This bill is a straightforward yet essential step to protect one of New South Wales's most iconic and sensitive natural assets—the Warragamba Dam and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
If water security is a concern for people, then there are alternatives to raising the wall that are viable and cheaper. An example is Minister Rose Jackson's April 2024 proposal to lower dam levels and boost desalination, doubling output to 30 per cent of Sydney's needs. This offers a practical pathway. Anyone or any party voting against this change leads us to believe that their intent is to leave the dam wall raising as a possibility so they can greedily build more houses in the flood zone. In my 5 November 2025 letter to the Premier and the Minister, I invited discussion at the dam and sought support for this bill, delivering on our shared commitments. This bill does that. It protects heritage, empowers WaterNSW and honours the traditional owners. I urge the Government and all members to support it for our environment, our culture and our future. I commend this bill to the House.