The Community of Waratah was promised responses to their enquiries at the meeting of 13.2.2018, however TasWater have been slow to provide copies of Hydrology assessments, environmental studies, catchment modelling and costings for both repair and replacement assessments for the Waratah Reservoir Dam.

This reinforces the Community’s perception that TasWater has simply plucked figures out of the air to justify their decision to destroy the Waratah Reservoir, which is our main water supply and only accessible fire fighting reserve.

TasWater are apparently now ‘reassessing’ their hydrology report, however the Community still does not have a copy of the original report promised, and want it to see what changes TasWater makes, if any, with this current review.

The Community believes the 2017 Risk Assessments were ‘doctored’ to overstate the financial risk and safety scenario of the Dam, and there has been a failure by TasWater to acknowledge that in four short years of ‘management’ of this resource, their negligence has led to its deterioration.

Yes Fraser White you did clear some vegetation from the Dam wall and yes you did put a grate over the pipe inlet to prevent branches blocking it.

And yes Fraser you installed a new valve, however in the process you excavated and shaved off part of the Dam wall which compromised its integrity.

And yes Fraser you did put rocks on the upstream face of the Dam wall to hold the riprap in place, but the excavator shaved the 130 year-old clay surface sealing and opened it up to the risk of piping which now needs repairing and is why the Community believes you want to decommission it – to save money.

But no Fraser you did not raise the height of the Dam wall as suggested to mitigate flood risk in the 2013 handover Report.

And no Fraser you did not widen the spillway as suggested which led to a near overtopping event and the start of piping erosion.

So you put in highly inflated figures into your equations to assume our rainfall was going to be much heavier, more frequent and for longer durations. The truth is we have experienced two of the driest years ever within the last four years, and climate change scientists say this will be the new normal.

But if you figure the same inflated figures for dry times the impact would be devastating and confirm why this dam was constructed 130 years ago and is required even more today.

And because you are a highly paid Executive, you and your highly paid colleagues at TasWater are having difficulty accepting that there could be an alternative course of action; that people that aren’t as highly paid as you but have just as much experience can come up with better socially acceptable solutions to manage the risks and save the Dam that you broke.

I once heard a description of an expert that in many cases seems very accurate – someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.

Such a person fails to listen to others and fails to admit that sometimes they may not always come up with the best answer.

It is the Community’s impression that TasWater is full of such unimaginative and unprincipled people, and as a publicly owned corporation is bullying its cost-cutting agenda through with little or no consideration for the needs and wants of the Community it is meant and paid very well to “serve”.

Instead of seeking to pay a dividend to the 29 Councils which own TasWater and which the public ultimately own, TasWater should be investing its profits in maintenance and infrastucture for the Community’s future first!

*Bill Smith is known to the Editor

Mike Brewster, TasWater CEO: ‘Correcting the record’ In an anonymous article recently posted in Tasmanian Times, the writer makes claims that are inaccurate or have already been fully discussed with the community. TasWater appreciates the value and role of anonymity but, as we cannot approach the writer directly, we would like to correct the record, and once again state the reasons for our decision on the future of the Waratah Dam …