04/11/2026
💧 OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES SAFE AND AFFORDABLE WATER – HAVE YOUR SAY!
Did you know that Lachlan Shire Council is considering options that could see annual household water, sewerage and stormwater bills rise to $4,000 or even $5,700 per year?
At Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service (CAHS), we believe everyone deserves access to clean, safe and reliable water – but it must also be affordable for our community.
On behalf of our Board, we've made a formal submission to Council supporting the need to upgrade our ageing water infrastructure, while raising serious concerns about the financial impact on local families.
📊 Here's why we're concerned:
According to the 2021 Census, the median annual income for Aboriginal households in Lachlan Shire was approximately $60,476.
Under Council's proposed scenarios, water, sewerage and stormwater charges could consume between 6.6% and 9.4% of that household income.
For our Elders, pensioners, concession card holders and families already struggling with the cost of living, this could place enormous pressure on household budgets.
Our message is simple: We shouldn't have to choose between safe water and affordable water. We deserve both.
📣 YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
Council is asking for community feedback, and we encourage everyone to have their say.
⏰ Submissions close tomorrow, Friday 6 November 2026.
✅ Complete Council's online survey via the Lachlan Shire Council website.
✅ Paper surveys are also available at Council offices and selected community locations.
Let's make sure the voices of our Aboriginal community, our Elders and our families are heard in decisions that will affect our community for generations to come.
Together, we can advocate for safe, reliable and affordable water for everyone. 💙
Healthy People. Strong Culture. Empowered Communities.
Wiradjuri Study Centre Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation
To the Community of Lachlan Shire Council,
The Draft Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) Strategy is beginning to get some feedback, and I would like to thank those that have given frank feedback to date, but I was expecting far more.
The combined Water / Sewer / Stormwater average residential bill for Sydney Water customers is $1,669/year. We are already higher than this and the Draft IWCM Strategy considers two scenario’s one of $4,000/year and a second of $5,700/year. We are a proud community, and we shouldn’t have to ask for a hand-out, but we should expect parity. Other levels of government should be meeting their community service obligations by funding more of the capital and operational costs to ensure that regional communities in Lachlan Shire Council are not left behind. I would expect many more responses to Council along these lines.
Many of Australia’s water filtration systems were constructed in the 1920’s - 1930’s but many of them were also overhauled and replaced in the 1980’s – 1990’s. While I can’t comment on why this wasn’t so for Condobolin, I am incredibly proud of the staff that work for Council that have kept these systems going. If we do not replace the Water Filtration Plant we will see the implementation of tighter controls with water restrictions through summer, that despite the high flows in the river system we will not be able to keep up with the water demand through the aged treatment plant.
The payback period for loans under the two scenarios modelled are different and they should be the same. This alone will make the 75% funded model more affordable. I would expect comments about the payback periods for loans.
The Draft IWCM Strategy also assumes a static (zero-growth) in population. Given the common planning assumptions that the State Government uses for development of proposals and strategic plans I can understand why this has been adopted with ABS data reflecting a declining population from 7,180 in 2001 to 6,194 in 2016. However, our shire is in the middle of a critical minerals development and population should also be modelled on a positive population growth and a return to population figures of 2001. I would also expect comments back on the assumption of a stable population, rather than a growing one.
I encourage all residents to make a submission on the Draft IWCM Strategy because we do not want to accept the first draft prepared by NSW Public Works. We have now extended the period for submissions twice, through to Friday 6th November 2026.
Residents can have their say by completing the online survey 🔗 https://au.openforms.com/Form/eedbf1b3-2d2e-4047-bf29-f1b5b496d829
Paper copies of the survey are also available at the Lachlan Shire Council Offices in Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo, the Condobolin Library, the Post Office in Tottenham and Tullibigeal.
Ian Greenham
General Manager
Lachlan Shire Council
