NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro is adamant Australia must build more dams to drought-proof regional Australia - and if a couple of frogs die, so be it. Tenterfield was cited as a example of how the state government will not abandon towns struggling with water supply.
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As the drought sinks its teeth further into the state, communities' domestic water supplies are drying up, leaving some towns months away from running dry.
The state Nationals leader said his government had funded bores at Bourke, a pipeline to Guyra and continued to work closely with Tenterfield, which among the hardest hit by crippling water shortages.
"To say can you guarantee (towns won't run dry), I can't guarantee that but I tell you what, we're not going to leave a community stranded. We'll do whatever it takes," Mr Barilaro said.
Mr Barilaro said there needed to be lessons learned about measures to help during future droughts.
"We've allowed, unfortunately, the vocal minority, often the Greens, the lefties, to stop us building dams," he told reporters in Dubbo on Thursday.
"If a couple of frogs have got to die to build a couple of dams, I tell you what, I'd rather support communities and families over frogs."
He said past governments - both coalition and Labor - had failed to get water-saving projects up and running.
"Governments of all colours and persuasions over the last couple of decades, unfortunately, haven't built the infrastructure to meet our needs," he said.
He wants to use a hefty chunk of money generated from the sale of the Snowy Hydro scheme to the federal government to fund the Nationals' dam-building agenda.
Australian Associated Press
