AROWS has nice ring to it
IT was very pleasing to recently hear that the Adelaide River offstream water storage (AROWS) project had jumped some of the last hurdles and might be coming into the home straight.
I applaud Minister Eva Lawler for this outstanding project – part of the plan to create a $40bn economy by 2030.
The return to service of Manton Dam to support Darwin River Dam supplying us with drinking water is the first cab off the rank and will increase supply by 7300 mega litres a year.
It was interesting to hear Ms Lawler quickly put the fishos’ concerns to bed when she said they would do everything possible to continue to allow recreation and fishing at the lake.
This is always contentious, and she certainly didn’t want to get the fishing voters offside early as the AROWS project will harvest flood water from the Adelaide River to fill and maintain the levels required for agriculture and the future development of the region.
I hope they fill it slowly to ensure the NIMBYs don’t get a foothold to say too much has been taken in one wet season.
AROWS is a fantastic project, and it is good to see a new dam is being built in Australia after decades neglecting the population growth and need for development. And I hope the environmental impact statement considers how good this dam could be for waterfowl.
Just as Harrison and Fogg Dam were instrumental in the Humpty Doo rice project and subsequently are integral habitat for wildlife now, so can AROWS from the start.
Ms Lawler could again have the foresight to include habitat that aids waterfowl and equally filters the water naturally.
If the shoreline and inflow area was shallow and had eleocharis reeds bordering them, wave erosion would be dramatically reduced and those very reeds would filter the water.
They would also provide natural food and nesting habitat for geese, ducks and all waterbirds that you would expect at an impoundment. Ms Lawler could also allow waterfowl hunting in season at AROWS and create the long-promised additional hunting reserve we deserve.
If anglers are one of her first thoughts at Manton Dam, hunters should be her first thought at AROWS. Hunting at AROWS has a nice ring to it.
Waterfowl hunting contributes between $12m and $25m to the NT economy.
I expect, if this is constructed with advantageous wetland habitat and waterfowl hunting considered, this could add another $10m to the NT economy the year it opens.
Friday arvo clay target practice is back at NT Field and Game with Sunday Mass open from 9am until noon today. All welcome.