Water security options on the table for Casino

Important steps are being taken towards diversifying and safeguarding Casino’s water security for the future, with work underway on a detailed options assessment that will lay out a range of potential solutions for drought-proofing this iconic Northern Rivers town.

It's being delivered thanks to $200,000 from the NSW Government’s successful Safe and Secure Water Program and $200,000 from Richmond Valley Council.

The options study will provide a preferred pathway, scope of works, timeframe and costings to achieve the right water security outcomes that will help bolster drought resilience. It will also verify Council’s planning for future water supply and capacity to ensure it is accurate.

This project is expected to be completed by October this year to enable Council to consider its next steps.

The Safe and Secure Water Program is supporting over $1 billion worth of regional projects across the state, with more than 260 in various stages of delivery.

NSW DCCEEW Executive Director – Infrastructure Development Lisa Hingerty said:

“Casino is a buzzing regional centre home to over 12,000 people who are no strangers to weather extremes over recent years. It’s crucial that we get ahead of the curve and find out what the town’s water future should look like.

"That’s why we’ve partnered closely with Richmond Valley Council to invest in these early investigation works to make sure they land on the right option that stacks up environmentally and financially, but most importantly, meets the town’s water long-term water needs.

“It’s still early days but this is about being prepared and doing our homework so that Council is in a stronger position down the track to proceed with the next big water security project for Casino along with making sure their water treatment facility is in the right shape to support the town now and into the future.”

Mayor of Richmond Valley Council Robert Mustow said:

“The first port of call with planning and development of new infrastructure is to work out exactly what we need and want to enable us to map out how we are going to deliver it and over what construction timeline.

“We already completed a water supply scoping study in 2022 thanks to $80,000 from the NSW Safe and Secure Water Program, which identified an expected shortfall of 514ML a year over a 30-year period along with a range of potential solutions to improve water security.

“Now these new studies will take us one step further by really focusing our efforts on the best and most feasible options that we can progress to help us prepare for a drier climate and improve drought resilience and water quality for Casino which is great news for residents.”