FAQ

Members of the Community Working Group that was previously established to consider the water augmentation options in 2009 were invited to join the new PRG.  

The members of the PRG are: Ms Rachel Eberhard, Uki; Mr Rob Learmonth, Nunderi; Mr Tony Thompson, Nobbys Creek; Mr Samuel Dawson, Murwillumbah; Mr Richard Murray, Tweed Heads; Mr Don Beck, Terranbora; Ms Robyn Lemair, Murwillumbah; and, Ms Joanna Gardner, Uki.  Two councillor representatives are yet to be appointed.  

Yes, the eight members represent landowners, business/commercial interests, environment, community, and Council views and interests.

Yes. That is correct. The PRG has been formed according to the Council resolution to reconvene the Community Working Group from 2009.

Council staff will assist the PRG as much as possible.  There are already a number of ‘technical’ reports available for the PRG to review.  The PRG may decide to engage an external consultant or consultants to assist with any unanswered technical questions.

It is up to the PRG as to whether it wishes to review the decision of Council to adopt the raising of Clarrie Hall Dam as the water supply augmentation and what information it needs to undertake that review.  Further, based on present information the augmentation is required by 2026.   The PRG may wish to review demand forecast and the secure yield information that has led to that date.

The timeframe for the project is very tight and was set by Council in its resolution of 7 December 2017.  There may be some flexibility in the timeframe but this will be dependent on the progress made by the PRG and the scope of work required to be done by external consultants.  All of the relevant documents that relate to the three water strategies that are currently available are available on the Your Say Tweed website.  As the project progresses, the information of Your Say Tweed, including Frequently Asked Questions, will be added to and updated.

As per the terms of Reference for the PRG, the purpose and process are as follows:

1.  Purpose

Council has resolved to reconvene the Community Working Group, established to consider the water supply augmentation options, as a Project Reference Group (PRG) to recommend a Terms of Reference for the review.

Consistent with the resolutions of Council the PRG will be required to:

1.  review the existing information which has led to the adoption of each of the three strategies, the strategies and the status of implementation of the strategies

2.  for each of the strategies, form an opinion as to whether there are any gaps in the information used to develop the strategy and whether the strategy is still current, and

3.  if considered necessary, for each of the strategies, determine a Terms of Reference for their review.

2.  Process

The process to be followed by the PRG is outlined below:

1.  Presentations will be given to the PRG on the purpose of each of the strategies, their history and how Council has implemented or is implementing the strategies.

2.  The PRG will determine what aspects, if any, of each strategy may require review.

3.  The PRG will prepare a Terms of Reference for the engagement of an independent consultant to review those aspects of the strategies they consider require review.

4.  The PRG will receive a presentation or presentations from the independent consultant on the matters identified.

5.  The PRG will form an opinion of the adequacy of the existing strategies and any changes that may be required.

6.  The PRG will inform Council of that opinion.

It is envisaged the PRG will meet 10 to 12 times over the next 12 months. This timeframe includes the appointment of a technical consultant to provide advice to the PRG on any gaps in the previous research to enable the PRG to make fully informed decisions.  Based on current assumptions, it is expected a report may be presented to Council around February 2020.

Fortunately, all community members of the PRG were members of the original Community Working Group in 2009 and are familiar with the work of that first group. It is expected they will be able to refresh their memories of that work by reading the documents of the previous CWG meetings. Additionally, at the first meeting of the new PRG, Council officers will refresh the information and provide technical and industry updates as required. 

To ensure an arm’s length process, Council has engaged an independent facilitator through Council’s procurement process.  The chosen facilitators, Peter Mathews and Paul Guyatt from Workplace Edge,  are fully independent and have experience in managing consultation processes and major infrastructure decisions for organisations and local government.  Both Peter and Paul are based in Brisbane and have no conflict of interest or particular views on the subject. They will facilitate the process impartially, taking into account the views of the PRG members, any subsequent technical advice sought by the PRG and the final decision of the PRG.

Council uses a consulting firm id.forecast to provide population and dwelling forecasts.  The forecasts are used by Council to determine future demands for water.  The forecasts are available on the web at https://forecast.id.com.au/tweed.  Council also works with id.forecast to update and try to improve the forecasts on a regular basis. 

Council staff will provide a briefing on groundwater extraction at a future meeting of the PRG.