Last week Rous County Council (RCC) councillors met for their monthly meeting to adopt the Draft Operational Plan and Budget for 2021/22.

Part of that plan involves flood mitigation, weed eradication and control, a drought management plan and the future water strategy which includes existing groundwater sources, utilising underground aquifers inTyagarah and recycle water.

There is still some confusion around the Dunoon Dam as an option with some thinking it is completely off the table while others think it is still an option.

As part of the operational plan 2.4.15.1 said that "Preparation of a plan (including revocation of zoning entitlements and disposal of land held for the purpose of Dunoon Dam) commenced."

RCC and Ballina Councillor Sharon Cadwallader supported the document except for the paragraph about exiting the Dunoon Dam as a future water project. The Operatonal Plan and Budget was passed unanimously.

So, where does this leave the Dunoon Dam as an option for the Future Water Project?

General Manager Philip Rudd told the Lismore App "There has been no change from the decision in December 2020 in regards of the proposed Dunoon Dam." That decision was to remove the Dunoon Dam as an option so it is not being considered as an option by RCC.

The reason it has not been killed off officially is because the public submissions have not been reported to council. The closing date was 28 May, 2021 and this proved too little time to properly prepare the document for last weeks RCC monthly meeting. The number of submissions? 13,500 which gives an indication as to how divisive this topic is to the Northern Rivers community.

A report from the consultants on the submissions will be provided including observations at the next RCC meeting on July 21.

The budget provided some good news for local jobs with seven new 'term' positions needing to be filled in the next twelve months including a program manager, drought management, smart water metering, change behaviour project managers and sight engineers for Maram Creek.