Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall recently inspected the completed works with engineers from Moree Plains Shire Council, ahead of the project’s completion early next year. Funded by the NSW Government’s Water Security for Regions Program, council has been delivering the project since ground breaking in May this year.

“This project will soon allow the hundreds of residents of Boggabilla of Toomelah to feel secure about the reliability of tap water, even in drier times,” Mr Marshall said.

“With this infrastructure water can be pumped between the two communities, providing a constant source of clean, fresh water regardless of the Macintyre River’s flow.

“Work crews have laid 15 kilometres of pipeline between the border towns, constructed a new water treatment plant at Boggabilla and completed a new water intake pier for the new inlet system.

“Manufacturing has now begun for the service walkway and floating pontoon system – an ingenious floating intake that will draw water from the top of the Macintyre River where water quality is at its best.”

Mr Marshall said that at the peak of construction, crews were laying hundreds of metres of pipe every day.

“This quick progress has kept the project on schedule. Ironically, now engineers must wait for the river level to drop roughly 1.4 metres before they can complete construction,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to the completion of this pipeline next year, and the $3.96 million Pallamallawa to Biniguy pipeline breaking ground a few months after,” Mr Marshall said. “With these projects complete water security in the Moree Plains Shire will be vastly improved.”