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COUNCIL DROPS PEJAR PLAN
FOR WATER: OTH-ER SCHEMES
Goulburn City Council has decided to inform the Department of Public Works
that, at this stake, it does not wish to pro ceed with a scheme to dam the Wollon
dilly River at Pejar to augment the city's water surply.
CouncIl has authorised the
matropolitani engineering firm
of Gutteridge, Haskins and
Davey to carry out an invest!
gaticn in an effort to find the
best c nd most economical means
of augmenting the city's supply.
Council now believes that
schemes more economicil than
the construction of a dam at
Pejar may te open to it.
The Public Works Depart
ment's. last quote on the. Pejar
scheme, given in 1945, called for
an expenditure of £500,000 for
the construction of an earth
dam.
Council's engineering con
sultant, Mr: G. I. Davey, said last
week that he considered tthe'
cost of this scheme would now
be in the vicinity of £800,000.
UNDERGROUND WATER
He said that council would be
well advised to explore the pos
sibility of augmenting the sup
ply from undergrrund water.
He said the geological nature
of this area led him to believe
that an an underground supply
might be found of sufficient
exteht to meet the city's needs.
Ald. R. L. Stalker gave evi
dence of the existence of an un
derground streame at Tirrana,
about 60 to 70 feet wide.
In investigating the best means
of augmenting supply, Gutter
idge Hoskins and Davey will coin
sider the possibility of gaining
an underground supply, of rais
inC the present wall of the
Sobley Dam, or constructing a
dam' at Heffernan's Creek.
Mr. Davey' said that if un
derground water was found to'
be present in sufficient quantity,
and in a practicable position to
augment supply council's prob
lem woulfl be solved.
Aid. P. D. Davies told council
at its meeting on Thursday that
it should "divorce itself entirely"
from the Department tof Public
Works on the question of aug
menting supply, in view of coun
cil's dealings with the depart
ment 'on the filtration plant.
Hle moved that Gutteridge,
Hoskins and Davey be asked tto
prepare the necessary informa
tion.
Mr. Davey said in years past,
coundil had' Mked the Depart
ment of Public Works to give
advice on tthe best means of
augmenting local supply.
He said the possibilities of get
ting water from the Shoalhaven,
of increasing the size of, he
Sooley Dam and of constructing
a dam at Pejar were talked
about.
It was advised that the most
economical scheme open to
council at that time would be to
construct a dam at Pejar and
draw water from there.
'The department has now
told you that it is in a position
to design the work for the Pejar
scheme," he said.
"They have in fact asked you
to say whether you want them
to go ahead witth the design for
the work."
RAISE SOOLEY WALL
Mr. Davey pointed out that
it new appeared that other
avenues were open to council,
which were not apparent when
the Pejar Dam was recommen
ded ;
Hle' said new - engineering
methods had been developed
which might make itt an
economically sound proposi
tion' to raise the existing
wall of the Sooley Dam.
"It might be wise to re-ex
amine •the Sooley Dam proposi
tion" as the -new engineering
methods might put a different
view on that proposition," he
said.
"In doing this however, you
would have to consider the cost
of reslming land which would
be covered by water if the wall
was raised, and the re-location
of roads etc.
"I think council would be well
advised to consider the possi
bility of obtaining water from
dnderground sources."
He pointed out that, un
der tthe present Government
policy, council could ask the
Government for financial as
sistance, but to qualify for
this It' would have to double
its present rating on water
supply.
"You are justified in being
very careful in whatever you do
in this matter.
"Before you commit your
selves' with the Departtment of
Public Works 'to going ahead
with the Pejar scheme, I would
suggest that you re-investigate
it in' the light of present day
costs."
,-Orr the 'question of searching
for ý.underground supply, Mr.
Davey said'bores might have to
be sunk to 1G00 or 2000 feet.
He. suggested that, a geologic
al isvestigation should be made
over the areas and, if this dis
closed that underground water
might' be: avallable. in satisfac
tory proportion, a drill could
then be' sunk.'
He said the water search wouid
be somewhat the same as drill
ing for oil.
if an economic local under
ground water supply was 'dis
covered, council would be abb
to alleviate the present posi
tion at a relatively low cost.
"Council would have to be pre
pared to spend money on an un
derground search, if it decided tc
io into it. You have to breat
some eggs if you are going tc
have this omelette," he said:
"The whole matter 'shotild b.
carefully examined before coun
cil commits itself to any ont
scheme."
NO UNNECESSARY EXPENSE
After it had been decided that
an investigation into finding the
best means of supply be placed
in the hands of Gutteridge, Hoas
kins and Davey, Mr. Davey said
his firm would not involve coun
cil in any unnecessary expendi
ture.
He said the. Investigations
should not to restricted to a set
order of priority. The best mea?s
af attacking the problem was to
examine the position carefully as
a whole ,and then decide what
scheme would be economicdlly
best to proceed with.
He pointed out that, in the
initial stages of investigation of
underground water supply, coun
cil would not'be committed to
anything more than getting
geological advice.
"If we get an indication that
.vwater is there in economic
quantities, we would be able to,
give an estimateion of the cost
at getting it to Goulburn etc.,
withcut doing any drilling at
all."
Mr. Davey said ne considered
Public Works. investigation of
the extent of the Department of
the position had been somewhat
limited.
"In view of the costs involved
I think you should let the in
vestigation develop step by step,"
he said .
PROGRESS REPORTS
Aid. Davies requested that the
firm submit reports of the pro
gress of its investigations to
council from time to time.
Aild. W. H. Hamilton sqidl ite
was quite apparent that the
cost of the Pejar Dam scheme
was not economically acceptable
to council.
He said the two problems fac
ing council were to get water
here as economically as' possible,
and to find finarice to bring it
here.
He said if council could pro
vide an augmentation which
would provide a satisfactory sup
ply for. the next ten to 15 years
members would justify their pre
sence at the courncil table
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