Fishy tale puts Windorah's water security at risk

More than four years after a plan to reinstate the rocky McPhellamy's Crossing, damaged by flooding, was begun, locals are frustrated by what they describe as red tape.

The crossing was constructed in the early 1900s so the country on the western side of Cooper Creek could be accessed by early settlers, and now Windorah residents fear that without it, an accident on the long single-lane bridge spanning the Cooper just upstream, or repairs, would see them cut off.

Their nearest alternative crossing would be at the Thomson River at Jundah, 100km to the north.

According to Barcoo Shire Council mayor Sally O'Neil, the State Assessment and Referral Agency gave advice in February 2020 on the approval requirements needed to reconstruct the weir.

Technical advice from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries confirmed that if the works were only repairs and the weir was constructed to original specifications, a development approval for waterway barrier works wouldn't be needed, and council was given permission to proceed with the reconstruction work.

"Following some early runs in the river the contractor was unable to complete the final stage, about the last third on the western bank," Cr O'Neil said.

"Since then, there have been multiple runs in the river, preventing the contractor from returning.

"In the meantime, DAF instructed council to cease works until the crossing had a fish ladder incorporated into the design and an application go through the State Assessment and Referral Agency."

She said this had happened when someone advised DAF that the work didn't have a fish passage incorporated, after which DAF reversed its earlier advice and told the council that one was needed.

"We'd been given approval and then they changed their minds - we got two different messages from DAF," Cr O'Neil said. "Any changes that we've made have been at their request."

The Public Works Department didn't comment on how the changes to the design came about.

A spokesperson advised only that changes proposed by council to the original weir design triggered the need for a development application for additional upgrade works.

"The department is awaiting further information and advice from council about provision of fish passage," they said.

Cr O'Neil said a new design, at council's cost, was being worked on and would be submitted to SARA by early July.

"Hopefully they'll be satisfied with the design and will approve it," she said. "Otherwise we'll be back to the drawing board, at a lot more expense."

Cr O'Neil said it was the first time in three-and-a-half years that the government could say it was waiting on the council for something.

Windorah Development Board president Marilyn Simpson said the impasse was not only causing environmental harm but also significant stress within the community.

In a letter to DAF, the board urgently requested guidance on the appropriate channels to expedite a resolution that served the best interests of both the creek system and the community.

"The delay in completion is causing significant stress and anxiety among our residents," it said.

"Our town's water supply is at risk, particularly considering the arid nature of our region and the looming threat of drought.

"Windorah only has the waterhole as a water supply and no other options."

Cr O'Neil said the weir held river water back for the town's supply, and the many runs over the last four years had seen storage opportunities go begging.

"It...is not lost on council (that) opportunities of securing water...are being missed."

The Development Board letter queried the environmental impact the delay could be causing, saying that if a fish passage was needed, delays may harm the fish population and the ecosystem in general.

It also referenced fears that the funding sourced by council may be at risk because the project can't be acquitted, thanks to the delays.