Lostock Dam to Glennies Creek Dam Pipeline with Paterson River Connection

This project was identified as a key action for improving resilience of the water supply system in the Lower Hunter Water Security Plan. It creates the opportunity to optimise existing infrastructure and take advantage of variations in rainfall distribution and dam storage capacities.

If built, the project would benefit the Hunter region by:

• increasing water availability
• making better use of existing water infrastructure
• improving water reliability and supply to existing and future agriculture, industries and towns across the entire region
• providing long-term regional water security in response to climate change
• increasing the region’s drought resilience.

Shown in the map below are the areas we’re investigating as possible locations for the Paterson River connection, water treatment plant, and pipeline connecting to the Maitland region.

A project Fact Sheet is available here.

More information about this project is also available from the NSW Government:

NSW Government Lostock Dam to Glennies Creek Dam Pipeline

The Social Impact Assessment is now closed for submissions. Thank you everyone for your participation and feedback.

The proposed Paterson River Connection would include constructing a river pump station at one of two potential locations at Paterson. The two locations being considered are:

• Near the rail bridge at Paterson
  
• At the river bend east of the Paterson township

To understand what the community feels are the positive and negative aspects of the two potential locations, we are completing a Social Impact Assessment. Community feedback, along with environmental, technical and financial considerations, will help determine the preferred site for the river pump station.

The Assessment was open to receive submissions from the public between 1 November 2023 and 22 December 2023.

More information will be available in early 2024.

Over the past few months we have been asked many questions about this project by community members. As well as replying individually, we are putting together a comprehensive list of questions and answers which will soon be available.

Why do we need this project?

• There is a high demand for water in the Hunter region including for urban, agriculture, mining and power generation. In an uncertain and changing climate, drought security is the primary economic risk facing the Hunter region.

What is the current status of the project?

• The proposed project is in the planning stage, with Water Infrastructure NSW developing the final business case in partnership with Hunter Water. A final business case must support all significant infrastructure investment decisions made by the NSW Government.

What is this project about?

• The proposed Lostock Dam to Glennies Creek Dam Pipeline Project would provide greater drought security by linking the Hunter region’s eastern zone (known for higher rainfall and catchment runoff) with its western zone (which has larger storage capacity but lower rainfall and inflows).

• The project was identified as a key action for improving the resilience of the water supply system in the Greater Hunter Regional Water Strategy. It optimises existing infrastructure and takes advantage of variations in rainfall distribution and dam storage capacities. If built, the benefits would include:
  • Making better use of existing water infrastructure
  • Improving water reliability and supply to existing and future agriculture, industries and towns across the region
  • Providing long-term regional water security in response to climate change
  • Increasing drought resilience

• The project was recommended as a long-term water security solution for the Hunter in Infrastructure NSW’s State Infrastructure Strategy 2018–2038, the Department of Planning and Environment’s Greater Hunter Regional Water Strategy and the Lower Hunter Water Security Plan 2022.

• Along with Water Infrastructure NSW we have investigated key sites across the project area to help identify the potentially affected communities, landholders and other stakeholders, the project’s potential infrastructure and route options, and to assess water demand and possible hydrological effects. These activities have included:

• Identifying potentially affected landholders and communities
• Communication with potentially affected landholders to discuss the project, the different assessments to be undertaken on their land
• Environmental, social, land use and heritage investigations to inform potential infrastructure options and possible impacts
• Geotechnical and ground condition assessments to inform potential infrastructure options
• Water demand assessments to understand historical, current and future water needs
• Hydrological modelling to understand the benefits and possible effects of the proposed infrastructure options on the current water system
• Preliminary engineering concept design.