For rural and regional communities, especially those crying out for dams for flood and drought mitigation for decades, Budget Paper Number 2 from the Commonwealth 2022-2023 Budget makes depressing reading.

Here is the portion to do with dams:

“As a result of its Spending Audit, the Government will achieve savings of $4.6 billion over 12 years from 2022–23. Savings include:

• not proceeding with funding of $5.4 billion for the Hells Gates Dam project in Queensland
• deferring funding of $899.5 million over 4 years from the Dungowan Dam and Pipeline, Emu Swamp Dam and Pipeline, Hughenden Irrigation Scheme and Wyangala Dam Wall Raising projects, to be reconsidered once business cases are completed and viable pathways to delivery are determined and assessed
• returning funding of $173.5 million over 4 years from unallocated and uncontracted funding within the National Water Grid Fund.

The Government will retain $1.0 billion over 8 years from 2026–27 in the National Water Grid Fund to support future projects.

The savings from this measure will be partially redirected to fund other Government priorities.

This measure was identified as part of the Spending Audit, which has focused on the quality of spending, uncommitted funding, duplicative measures and reprioritising existing funding towards higher priority initiatives and budget repair.“

In other words: ‘Be damned on dams country folk! We are throwing money at city voters’.

The reader may well ask – what is the National Water Grid Fund? Good question, here is how the fund is described on its website :

“The National Water Grid Fund will support the development and delivery of nationally important water infrastructure projects that support primary industries and unlock potential, promote growth and sustainability of regional economies, and build resilience.“

High sounding aims – all ignored by the ALP – at both state and federal levels – especially the ‘build resilience‘ element, which anyone with an ounce of integrity or compassion would see has been sadly lacking in recent years through a failure to mitigate the impacts of floods – not least of all by building dams.

Budget Paper Number 2 makes the words of Minister Catherine King spoken today in her Regional Budget Statement ring rather hollow:

“Which is why we are delivering on our election commitments to restore and protect rivers and streams across the country, as well as continuing investments in our most important river system – The Murray-Darling Basin – and investing in dams that stack up across the country through the National Water Grid Fund.

At the same time, we well understand the threat that flooding and disasters pose – our thoughts remain with those in crisis now.“

So, we know about the dams which the ALP is NOT funding. Which ones are they funding, those that ‘stack up through the National Water Grid Fund’?

Kookaburra took a look through the current National Water Grid Fund agreements with each of the states and with the Northern Territory, searching for new dam projects. Here is what was found:

• New South Wales – none
• Victoria – none
• Queensland – two, sort of:

Big Rocks (near Charters Towers)weir and saddle dam – $30 million Commonwealth contribution – total project estimated to cost $60 million. 13 metre high wall. 10,000 megalitres.

Paradise Dam Improvement Project (not a new dam) – the project will restore the Paradise Dam to its full 300GL capacity.

• South Australia – none
• Western Australia – none
• Tasmania – none new – Lake Leake dam life extension project, with a Commonwealth contribution of $1.5 million.
• Northern Territory – none

So, one new weir. Lots to be spent on urban rail and road however.

Actions, not words, Minister. Actions, not words.