Without regular rainfall during the recent major droughts, rural communities like Walcha were most affected, with the river drying up and water reserves falling dangerously low. A positive legacy of what was the worst Australian drought on record is the new Walcha Off Creek Storage (OCS1) dam, an $11 million piece of resilient water infrastructure which has now entered the construction phase. This new 300 megalitre water storage will more than quadruple Walcha’s water storage capacity, improving security of supply to the region and providing benefits for generations to come.

We recently joined our project partners on site to celebrate this milestone and witness dignitaries Barnaby Joyce (Member for New England), Eric Noakes (Walcha Mayor) and Adam Marshall (Northern Tablelands MP) perform the ceremonial sod turning. Beca HunterH2O’s involvement to date has included detailed design, project management, construction management and ongoing technical support via an EPCM-style engagement. Part of our services has involved an innovative approach to involving the local Walcha resources and contractors, which has resulted in significant local participation and economic benefit for the region.

With so many of our team living and working in rural or regional communities, this project is a great example of our long-standing, ongoing commitment to the Namoi region and other rural and regional areas Australia-wide.