The Murrumbidgee River at Narrandera.
Water security for Boorowa and Narrandera remains uncertain, as New South Wales grapples with a multi-billion-dollar backlog of critical infrastructure projects.
A recent report from the Auditor-General found that at least $1 billion is required to support water infrastructure across regional and rural NSW, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing communities.
In response, Local Government NSW warned that a continued lack of investment from the NSW Government would lead to increased disruptions to essential water and sewer services, placing further pressure on regional towns.
For Boorowa residents, water quality has been a long-standing issue, with the community often facing boil-water notices during the summer months.
In 2024, Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke secured $265,000 through the NSW Safe and Secure Water Program (SSWP) to fund a scoping study for a future pipeline project.
A further $150,000 was secured in 2024 as part of the Advanced Operational Support program to support Boorowa’s Water Treatment Plant.
However, with no new funding committed to the SSWP since the change of government in 2023 and the program now fully allocated, there is currently no pathway to fund the pipeline’s construction.
“Hilltops Council has done the work, they are all but shovel-ready and good to go,” MsCooke said.
“The one piece that’s missing is the funding required, and that has to come from a combination of the state and federal governments.”
Both Boorowa and Narrandera were identified as priority locations for water infrastructure upgrades at the 2026 Cootamundra Mayoral Summit.
As the only town in the Cootamundra electorate without a water treatment plant, Narrandera has been battling significant water quality issues that have worsened since the 2022 floods.
“There is nowhere for Narrandera to go to apply for funding, particularly now that the avenue of the National Water Grid has also closed off,” Ms Cooke said.
“This is simply not good enough for a population of over 5,000, plus the people that they welcome into their community each and every week.”
Ms Cooke, who also serves as the Shadow Minister for Water and has spent years advocating for renewed investment in the SSWP, said the NSW Government cannot afford to ignore the Auditor-General’s findings.
“We are in a very, very dry period, and this is the time, unfortunately, when people are interested in a discussion around water security,” Ms Cooke said.
“We need to be having these discussions when we are not at the 11th hour, like we seem to get year after year after year.
“And that starts with the NSW Government prioritising critical water infrastructure by committing the funds, which the Auditor-General’s report has identified as critical.”
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.