Before Col Baker of Future Northern Rivers accuses Hugh Nicholson and others of distorting the truth and outright lies he would do well to check his facts.

Read more: Letter To The Editor: Col Baker on the Dunoon Dam in reply to Nan Nicholson

I do not support Hugh Nicholson’s comments about the Rous General Manager. We have worked side by side for the last 4 years to transform Rous County Council into a modern, fit for purpose agency to combat weeds, floods and supply our water. Phillip Rudd has been an outstanding leader through a period of significant change. 

However, Mr Baker’s letter contains a number of fundamental errors.

1. Rous Councillors were not provided a copy of the Ainsworth Cultural Heritage Study or a briefing on its contents. As the Chair of Rous I was advised by staff that I could not view the Cultural Heritage Report due to a dispute with the traditional custodians who had refused to provide consent for its release. I eventually viewed a copy via direct discussions with Traditional Custodians but not via Rous. That is a fact, not an opinion.

2. Mr Baker’s assertion that a Dam will be cheaper because it is the only option that will get State funding is absolute nonsense. A standard funding formula applies for all urban water supply projects that are part of an approved Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan. A dam has by far the highest upfront cost and even with State funding will require substantial loans to finance the balance of the construction cost. Another fact.

3. Col says it’s all just weeds. It’s funny how Col says he wants more science but he refuses to accept the science we do have. Existing ecological studies show 52 Ha of Koala habitat lost and 33Ha of sub-tropical rainforest lost. Again facts, not opinion.

4. Mr Baker says when you stoop to distorting the truth or telling outright lies and to attack those who disagree with you, you have lost the debate. 

Yet for the last year, spokespersons for Future Northern Rivers have shown no shame in repeatedly calling me a liar. It must be political interference they shout, pointing to a Facebook post by Bob Carr. Really, is that your evidence?

How about you consider the 436 pages of a highly qualified archeologist’s detailed study like I did? It’s now publicly available on the Rous website in de-identified form following negotiations I undertook with the Traditional Custodians.

The Dunoon site contains a burial ground of at least 25 graves dating from before European settlement to the recent past. Assessed against Heritage Act criteria, the site is described as State Significant.

The archeologist employed by Rous was clearly of the view that the Minister for Planning would be unlikely to give consent to the Development Application for a dam at Dunoon, unless all alternative water supply options had been exhausted and genuine negotiation with the Traditional Custodians had been undertaken.

This is a significant legal problem. It will either be resolved through the courts or by negotiation. Rous Councillors, sensibly chose to put the dam to one side until the next review of the plan in 5 years time, to allow those negotiation to occur.

The site will not be sold. The matter will be reconsidered. 

In the meantime, Rous will get on with our job of securing additional water by 2024 and continuing to investigate all other viable water supply options for future years.

The belated publication of the Ainsworth Cultural Heritage Report has no doubt been damaging to efforts to explain the Rous Council decision. It has allowed political opportunists to ignore reality and reduce a complex matter to a Trump like ‘Build the Dam’ slogan.

But we need more than lies, dam lies and slogans.

Keith Williams

Councillor Keith Williams