Due to the position of the dam and analyses provided by the NSW Dam Safety Committee, council will undergo the works in order to stave off future failures.

The dam has been highlighted as “a high risk of failure”.

The analyses revealed the potential for calamities in the dam under certain combinations of flood and asset condition factors.

The way the dam is at present, fails to meet requirements in terms of natural disaster handling capacity.

Council are undertaking environmental, capacity and risk assessments as well as concept designs and estimates.

Construction is anticipated to start in early 2016 with works expected to last up to a year.

Two reinforcement methods are currently being deliberated over by council with both estimated to cost similar amounts.

Council have committed half a million dollars to the design phase with council eligible for 50-50 co-funding from the NSW Office of Water should the project be completed by July 2017.

6,000 metres of mass concrete buttress immediately downstream of the existing wall or the installation of 37 post-tensioned ground anchors are the two plans council are presently considering.

In a newsletter from Tenterfield Shire Council they said a Review of Environmental Factors would be placed on public exhibition later this year to provide ratepayers with an opportunity for comment.