Murrurundi, in the Upper Hunter, is now on water restrictions, how long before the rest of our area is subject to similar restrictions? Newcastle? Lake Macquarie? Maitland? Cessnock? The Lower Hunter area? Worried yet?

Water levels at Chichester Dam, in the Dungog Shire catchment area, dropped to under 40% capacity just a few months ago. Broadly speaking, this dam, this catchment, supplies about 75% of your water needs. Weather predictions for the warmer months ahead are as bad as, or worse, than those experienced in 2017/2018 so again the question arises, where does our water come from and what can we do to safeguard our most precious commodity?

We have been told to recycle where we can, install tanks for domestic use, be water wise etc, but these measures, while commendable, just do not address the problem of water security for our future on one of the driest continents on earth.

Can I urge all water users in our area to question why our future water needs are not being addressed by any government body? Why water security is not a priority? Why we are largely ignored and passed over time after time?.

Please don’t wait until water restrictions are more wide spread, until our rivers and creeks dry up again, until our local environment is in crisis. Act now, ask "where does my water come from", and "what can I do to secure it”. 

Australia needs more dams, why not start in the Hunter Valley?

Michael Dowling, Dungog