Harden to Boorowa Pipeline with Harden in the left hand box and Boorowa in the far right box.
This month’s Hilltops Council Business paper contains a lengthy report on the Harden to Boorowa Pipeline project. The report states that the pipeline has been Council’s preferred option for Boorowa’s water security since at least 2017.
The project incorporates the supply of potable water from Goldenfield’s Water County Council as is currently the case for the Hilltops communities of Jugiong, Harden, Young and Galong. Boorowa was not included in the original proclamation of Goldenfields when it commenced providing water services in 1997.
At this stage Council has stated that the project needs to complete investigations, concept design and costing of the pipeline, something that will run in to the tens of millions of dollars and neither Goldenfields nor Hilltops especially, has the ability to fund its completion. The project will have to be funded by State and Federal Governments with estimations of between $50,000,000 and $70,000,000 however, a final figure is yet to be decided upon.
It appears land acquisitions will have to be dealt with and this can cost the project considerable amounts of money if fought by land owners for new properties or subdivisions.
Where there is current supply, owners of property in Young and Harden former Council areas are to pay a connection charge of approximately $8,000. It is unclear if residents of Boorowa and surrounds will be faced with this impost or not. It may be one of the only ways whichever government or governments recoups some of the cost.
The construction footprint for the project if funded will be set at 5 m either side of the pipeline alignment (total 10 m wide), or a buffer of 10 m surrounding trench works, with an indirect impact area buffer of 25 m either side of the direct construction impact areas.
The pipeline passes under the road and / or along the road reserve, and the width of the impact area will not be greater than the trench width. However, the 10 m buffer is included to allow for movement of the construction fleet, including the required medium to large excavators.
The proposed width of the trench for pipeline placement is anticipated to be no more than 800 mm wide, and no more than 1.5 m deep and will include approximately 4-5 m of soil disturbance during the construction phase. The proposed construction methodology for the works will be mostly open cut trenching, clearance of vegetation, excavation and installation of pipe.
The property owners on whose land the pipeline will be constructed have been consulted extensively during the preliminary phases of planning, with several meetings and site visits held. Hilltops Council and its appointed contractor will continue to liaise with its agency stakeholders and members of the wider community throughout delivery of the construction and operational phases of the Proposal.
Specifically, Council will ensure all interested and affected parties including businesses, government agencies, farming enterprises, landowners and residents within the impacted area are notified of the works at least fourteen (14) days prior to the commencement of work, and regular door to door verbal notifications will be given to affected landowners prior to works proceeding on or near their property. In particular, those property owners whose driveways and access will be disrupted by trenching and pipeline installation will need to be contacted individually, with alternate access arrangements made while works are being completed.
In addition, the assessment identified potential impacts on the Murrumburrah-Harden Hospital, which may experience noise exceedances of recommended internal noise levels in hospital wards, therefore the facility should be consulted to ensure all potential disruptions and impacts are communicated and considered fully.
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