A pumped hydro threatens many aspects of our lives and those of the Namoi catchment

The water users of Dungowan Creek are worried about the impact the proposed Dungowan Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) power station would have on the quality and quantity of water in the creek. We use the water to drink, to water our livestock, to irrigate our crops and for recreational fishing and swimming.

The productive and tightly held Dungowan Creek valley is home to one of the most diverse range of fauna in the whole of Australia. Our valley is a special place of mineral-rich soils where irrigated lucerne paddocks and fertile grazing lands nestle amongst untouched native bushland of the Great Dividing Range.

French multinational EDF plans to build kilometres of huge 330kV high voltage transmission lines through private property, koala habitat and remnant forests. EDF's power lines are separate from the 500kV lines that EnergyCo wants to force on communities like Dungowan and Woolomin.

Local residents have real and valid concerns that EDF's reservoir will contribute to increased loss of life and property in the event of the catastrophic failure of Dungowan Dam. If the dam wall broke, the resulting inundation would be increased if it picked up an extra 3 gigalitres of water from EDF's reservoir.

We have concerns about the construction phase of this project. EDF says it will take between 3 to 5 years to construct the powerplant. Up to 500 labourers living and working on site will strain our local infrastructure and environment to breaking point. It threatens our pristine creek and drinking water. Road safety and maintenance are also major issues.

EDF and its city-based partners have no social licence to build pumped hydro in the Dungowan valley. They never will. They couldn't have picked a worse spot for pumped hydro. Most local residents do not want this monstrosity ruining our valley. It will adversely impact our way of life, the natural environment and divide community.