Tamworth Intervalley Pipelines and Off-River Storages Project

About the project

The Tamworth Intervalley Pipelines and Off-River Storages Project involves the delivery of a preliminary business case to identify and assess options to improve Tamworth region’s water security and support a growing regional economy.

The department’s Water Group will consider options like intervalley pipelines, off-river storage and other infrastructure options identified in previous assessments.

Options being considered include:

• construction of a new smaller off-river storage (between 1 – 10 gigalitres) upstream of Tamworth. Water will be extracted from the Peel River at Paradise Weir, with a pump station and a pipeline capacity of 100 megalitres per day for transfers to and from the storage.
• construction of a new pipeline and pump stations to transfer water from Manning River catchment to Chaffey Dam, including a weir on the Barnard River.
• construction of a new pipeline and pump stations to transfer water from Keepit Dam to Calala Water Treatment Plant.
• construction of a new pipeline and pump stations to transfer water from Split Rock Dam to Calala Water Treatment Plant.

These options are aligned with the Tamworth Water Security Plan being developed by the Tamworth Regional Council.

The project is in early planning stage. The preliminary business case will inform funding decisions for further investigations.

Stakeholder engagement

The Water Group is committed to building and maintaining respectful, trusted and collaborative relationships with our communities and stakeholders to ensure water infrastructure projects achieve the best possible outcomes.

We will offer opportunities for communities and stakeholders, including First Nations people, to engage with us and provide feedback as we develop the preliminary business case for the project.

Community members were invited to attend a webinar or visit our stall at the Tamworth Shoppingworld during February 2025 to learn more about the project, ask any questions or provide feedback to the project team. A recording of the community webinar and the irrigators webinar are provided below.