The Dungowan Dam Replacement project will see the existing dam replaced with a larger structure, increasing capacity from 6.3 to 22.5 gigalitres.
Included in the scope of the project is:
- construction of a new dam wall 3.5 kilometres downstream of the current wall, increasing the dam’s capacity from 6.3 gigalitres (GL) to 22.5 GL
- decommissioning the existing Dungowan Dam, and
- construction of a 55-kilometre large diameter pipeline between Dungowan Dam and the Callala Water Treatment Plant.
Dungowan Dam is located on Dungowan Creek near Tamworth NSW. The Dam currenlty supplies water to Tamworth via a 55-kilometre pipeline.
Key Dates
| 2016 | Project Announcement |
| Dec 2019 | RFP Open |
| Jul 2022 | Infrastructure Australia release of business case assessment |
Funding contributions
| NSW Government | |
|
The 2022-23 October Federal Budget deferred Commonwealth funding for the project, which will be reconsidered once a project business case is completed. The Federal Government had previously committed $433 million toward the project. |
|
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Water Infrastructure NSW (WINSW) |
| Shortlist: | ACCIONA and Seymour Whyte |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| 2015 | The Dungowan Dam Replacement project is proposed in the NSW Government's Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper. |
| 2016 | The Federal Government made an election commitment of $75 million towards the project. |
| 2019 | The NSW and Federal Governments announced $480 million in joint funding for the project. |
| Jan 2020 | WaterNSW opened Expressions of Interest for a Planning and Development Consultant for this project and the Mole River Dam project. |
| Jan 2020 | The environmental assessment commenced for the project. |
| Mar 2020 | A request to prepare the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the dam replacement is issued. |
| Mar 2020 | WaterNSW announced that SMEC had been engaged for engineering design and environmental works. |
| Mar 2020 | The detailed investigations and design work commenced for the project. |
| May 2020 | WaterNSW awarded WaterSecure, a joint venture between Aurecon and KBR, the Portfolio Delivery Management Partner contract to oversee its water infrastructure project portfolio. Under the seven year contract, WaterSecure will manage drought response and water security projects from planning to completion, including the Upper Mole River Dam, Dungowan Dam Replacement, and Wyangala Dam Upgrade. |
| May 2020 | The NSW Government announced $245 million to commence Stage One of both the Dungowan and Wyangala Dam projects. |
| Jul 2020 | The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment issued the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for Dungowan Dam, Wyangala Dam and the Upper Mole River Dam ahead of the development of the Environmental Impact Statement. |
| Nov 2020 | The 2020-21 NSW Budget included the Dungowan Dam Replacement in a $245 million joint funding allocation for FY2020-21, together with the Wyangala Dam Upgrade and the Upper Mole River Project. |
| Dec 2020 | WaterNSW sought EOIs for pre-qualification for the Business Case and Economic Advisory Services for this project and also the Mole River project. |
| Jun 2021 | The 2021-22 NSW Budget allocated a combined $31 million to the Wyangala Dam and Dungowan Dam projects for FY2021-22. |
| Jul 2021 | From 1 July 2021, responsibility for the Dungowan Dam project transitioned from WaterNSW to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Water Infrastructure NSW (WINSW), which is a Division of the Water Group. |
| Feb 2022 | The NSW Government announced the shortlisted bidders for the project as ACCIONA and Seymour Whyte. |
| Feb 2022 | Construction commences on the Dungowan Dam to Calala Water Treatment Plant Pipeline. |
| May 2022 | Infrastructure NSW's 2022 State Infrastructure Strategy recommended the project be re-sequenced to avoid delivery risks caused by complexity and a shortage of skilled labour. The NSW Government will assess the strategy's recommendations before making a decision on their implementation. |
| Jun 2022 | The 2022-23 NSW Budget allocated $9 million to progress early works on the Dungowan and Wyangala Dam Upgrades. However, the NSW Government's commitment to the $484 million Dungowan Dam project is contingent on the Federal Government continuing its 50 per cent contribution to the project. |
| Aug 2022 | Infrastructure Australia released the business case evaluation summary of the project, finding it had a benefit cost-ratio of 0.09. Infrastructure Australia did not add the project to the Infrastructure Priority List. |
| Oct 2022 | The 2022-23 October Federal Budget deferred Commonwealth funding for the project, which will be reconsidered once a project business case is completed. The Federal Government had previously committed $433 million toward the project. |
| Oct 2022 | The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project was placed on exhibition, closing on the 7th of December. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2022)
Sector
Water & Sewerage
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Unconfirmed |
Location
New South Wales |
National |
Resources
Media releases
2019/10/132020/03/31
2020/05/11
2020/05/25
2020/09/19
2022/02/02
2022/02/10
2022/08/17
