Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke is calling on Water Minister Rose Jackson to take immediate action to fix the water supply issues that continue to plague the Boorowa community.
It follows a warning issued to residents that the drinking water is unsafe and must be boiled before use, a situation Ms Cooke said is completely unacceptable.
“The Water Minister is well aware of the water supply issues facing this community; I personally delivered a petition to her office in August last year, that made the situation regarding the water quality abundantly clear, and yet almost five months later, the Minister is nowhere to be seen,” Ms Cooke said.
Ms Cooke said more than 400 people put their names to the petition calling on the Water Minister to take urgent action to provide a secure potable water supply for Boorowa.
“The time has long past for the Water Minister to acknowledge the concerns of local residents and of Hilltops Council, and to take steps to rectify the problems around water quality and quantity in Boorowa once and for all,” Ms Cooke said.
“Inaction is no longer an option; the Water Minister must act now and make fixing Boorowa’s water a top priority in 2024,” she said.
Ms Cooke said there are steps the Water Minister can take in the short-term, to address the issue.
“If the Minister is serious about finding solutions to this ongoing problem, she could immediately sign-off on funding to explore the feasibility of the options that are on the table in 2024, including a proposal for a pipeline from Harden to Boorowa,” Ms Cooke said.
“Boorowa is expanding, but without the proper infrastructure in place, this growth will always be held back.
“Having safe and secure water supplies at our schools, hospitals, homes, and small businesses is a basic requirement, and if this city-centric NSW Labor Government is serious about giving our rural and regional communities every opportunity to thrive, they must govern for the entire state, and focus their attention on issues beyond the Great Divide,” she said.
