NSW premier and treasurer appear at odds over Warragamba Dam wall raising

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has cast doubt over the state government’s promise to raise the Warragamba Dam wall after saying the controversial project was not included in the state’s four-year building plan.

Just hours later,Premier Dominic Perrottet appeared to contradict Kean when he said construction on the multibillion-dollar project would begin in the next term of government.

“As I’ve said very clearly,we have a strong infrastructure pipeline,we’ve committed to raising the Warragamba Dam wall,” he said.

Different messaging:Premier Dominic Perrottet and Treasurer Matt Kean this week.

Different messaging:Premier Dominic Perrottet and Treasurer Matt Kean this week.Dominic Lorrimer

“I expect construction of[the] Warragamba Dam raising to commence in the next term of government.”

In a debate with opposition treasury spokesman Daniel Mookhey on Ben Fordham’s 2GBBreakfast program,Kean said neither the Warragamba raising nor the Northern Beaches Link were in the state’s four-year infrastructure plan.

“Over the next four years,they’re not in our infrastructure plan,” he said. “You can talk about that for the next election.”

Perrottet denied that he and the treasurer were at odds over the project,which requires federal government approval.

Asked whether the dam was part of the four-year infrastructure plan,Perrottet said,“We’ve got a long-term infrastructure plan.”

Kean on Wednesday evening issued a statement clarifying the government did,in fact,intend to raise the wall in the next term of government.

“Pointing out the infrastructure pipeline outlined in the half-yearly review does not exclude starting the dam wall raising once a full funding decision is able to be made. Our plan is to begin the project in the next term of government,” he said.

Mookhey said the government had a “black hole” in its budget,and could not pay for mega projects without selling more government assets.

“That’s not true,” Kean said.

Perrottet Dominic Perrottet says construction on the multibillion-dollar project would begin in the next term of government.

Perrottet Dominic Perrottet says construction on the multibillion-dollar project would begin in the next term of government.Rhett Wyman

“We’ve listed our infrastructure priorities,they’re there in the budget for everyone to see,and we’ve got a clear plan to pay for it.”

Perrottet announcedlast year the government would fast-track the planning process for the move to raise Warragamba Dam in a bid to address flooding in low-lying parts of Sydney’s west.

In October,in the midst of the state’s flooding disasters,Perrottet said the government needed to “put people before plants”.

However,no substantial funding for the project was outlined in this month’s midyear budget update.

Environmentalists and local Indigenous spokespeople have campaigned for years against the dam wall being raised,warning it would result in the inundation of World Heritage-listed bushland and cultural sites.

Former planning minister Rob Stokes refused to grant the project critical state significant infrastructure status in 2021,given the impact it would have on a World Heritage area.

While Perrottet said the project was not contingent on federal funding,he reiterated on Wednesday he expected the Albanese government to pitch in with dollars for the works.

Opposition environment spokeswoman Penny Sharpe said the premier and treasurer needed to explain how they planned to pay for the wall being raised.

“It seems that the treasurer and the premier are at odds on a number of things,they can’t seem to agree whether we’re going to privatise Sydney Water or other assets and can’t seem to agree whether we’re building things or not,” she said.

“They also need to be honest,they’ve announced the Warragamba Dam several times and it looks that even if Mr Perrottet gets his own way,we’re talking about another five or six years before it would even be started.”

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Tom Rabe is the WA political correspondent,based in Perth.

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