Having a water supply for Start Town and Mumbil should be a long-term priority for Dubbo Regional Council, says mayor Ben Shields.
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A Stuart Town resident addressed the councillors at a recent meeting, calling for a water supply at the village.
Director infrastructure and services Michael McMahon said it was a suggestion worth considerable investigation.
Cr Shields said he believed a town water supply would strengthen the future viability of the villages.
“This is someone now, post-amalgamation, that we can bring to the table. We can go down the path, not tomorrow, not even the next day but getting the planning together, getting our ‘i’s dotted and our ‘t’s crossed when it comes to eventually providing proper, sustainable water for the villages of Mumbil and Stuart Town,” he said.
“We can not grow these villages and expect significant economic growth without appropriate water. It’s something I believe we should have a very big focus on.”
The Eumungerie Water Supply Scheme was officially opened last year. Wongarbon and Ballimore have also been given water access.
Cr Shields said one of the things he was most proud of was introducing water to the villages. Since Wongarbon was connected to the water supply in 2004 it had been refreshed and rejuvenated, he said.
“It’s something that doesn’t happen overnight – trust me it didn’t happen overnight within the old Dubbo villages either – but it’s something we should be really be heading for and it’s something that should be a long-term priority for council,” the mayor said.
It was 22 years from the time it was decided to introduce town water at Eumungerie until the 48 households had tap water they could drink from.