Image date: 18th May 2006 & 22nd May 2006

Clearing of the 4.5km new section of access road, off Shannondale Road, into the Shannon Creek Storage site is underway. Contractors Vemco Pty Ltd are undertaking the work for North Coast Water, a business unit of Clarence Valley Council.

Clarence Valley Council in May this year accepted a tender by Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd, for construction of the 30,000 megalitre storage at Shannon Creek and associated work (including the storage, access road and power supply substation) - this major construction work is expected to commence in July this year, following approval by the Minister for Utilities to the award of the contract. This final stage of the Clarence Valley & Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply Project construction is scheduled for completion in 2009. When filled, the storage will secure the water supplies for the Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour areas on the north coast of NSW.

Image date: 18th May 2006

Contractors EcoCivil Pty Ltd, engaged by North Coast Water are undertaking the final stage of construction of the Stage 1B pipeline works, from the "CrossOver" near Blaxland Creek into Shannon Creek Storage site. The pipeline construction work is expected to be completed in mid June 2006. EcoCivil are also installing underground conduits in the same corridor as the pipeline, to accommodate 11kV powerline and communications into the storage site.

Image date: 8th November 2005

CV&CH RWS Strategic Project Manager wins national project management award.

In October 2005 Gary Kennedy, Strategic Project Manager of the CV&CH RWS Project, won a national industry award for his role as project manager on two major water infrastructure projects on the North Coast – the Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply (CV&CH RWS) and the Ballina Shire Urban Water Management Strategy.

Gary was recently presented with the national award at the Australian Institute of Project Management Awards in Melbourne. This achievement at the national level followed Gary’s recent success in taking out the 2005 State award for project management.

Gary is employed by NSW Dept of Commerce and has been managing water infrastructure projects in NSW for almost 30 years, being involved in the development and delivery of almost every council water supply and sewerage scheme on the North Coast. Gary started his career in Sydney with the Public Works Department in 1969 and moved to Lismore in 1976, where he is currently based. The award also acknowledged Gary’s role as a founding member of the Project Manager Centre of Excellence established by the Dept of Commerce in 1999.

NSW Dept of Commerce is project managing the CV&CH RWS Project for North Coast Water. Executive Manager of North Coast Water, Ian Preston, and members of the CV&CH RWS Project Committee have recently acknowledged Gary’s outstanding efforts, commitment and leadership in project management of the $140 million regional water supply project, and congratulated him on his well deserved success in this national Award.

Image date: 29th July 2005

North Coast Water presented Hoop Pine seedlings, from a large tree growing at Shannon Creek, to public schools at Coutts Crossing and Nymboida on Friday 29th July 2005 to mark National Tree Day on 31st July. Students will nurture the seedlings for the next twelve months and will then plant the trees on North Coast Water's property at Shannon Creek, as part of the the proposed Shannon Creek Storage revegetation activities.

EnviTE, under an engagement by North Coast Water, had gathered more than 410,600 seeds from 29 species of trees in the Shannon Creek area, for future use by North Coast Water. A representative from EnviTE, together with NCW's Executive Manager and Community Liaison Officer and a representative from the Department of Commerce (NCW Project Managers), attended the presentations at Coutts Crossing and Nymboida, celebrating National Tree Day.

The seedlings were presented by Cr Richie Williamson of Clarence Valley Council - Cr Williamson is a former captain of Coutts Crossing Council.

Image date: 10th May 2005

Following exhibition of the Project's SISs with accompanying assessment documents, and receipt of submissions (closing 14th June 2005), a representations report will be prepared and that report along with all submissions will be forwarded to the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) for concurrence. Once concurrence is received, Clarence Valley Council will be in a position to consider DEC's response and other representations received, prior to giving consent for the Development Application for Shannon Creek Storage Access Road and making a determination on the Part 5 activities of the Project.

It is anticipated that following determination of all outstanding approvals, and agreement from the Department of Energy Utilities and Sustainability (DEUS) to call tenders, that tenders for construction of Shannon Creek Storage and access road will be invited in October 2005, with construction to commence in approx February 2006

Image date: 23rd March 2005

A research project is currently underway involving PhD students, North Coast Water, Country Energy & University of New England, to assist with defining an appropriate monitoring program to assess environmental impacts associated with extraction of water from the Nymboida River by the authorities. The river is the source of the Clarence Valley's water supply and for Country Energy's hydropower generation at Nymboida. At North Coast Water's River Monitoring Committee meeting in March 2005, PhD students outlined macroinvertebrates and biofilm studies to date, to assist in choosing a series of biological indicators that show environmental stresses such as low flows.

Image date: 17th February 2005

A team of seed collectors has been working at Shannon Creek Storage site west of Coutts Crossing gathering seeds for planting in revegetation work downstream of the proposed water storage embankment. The collection has been undertaken by Environmental Training and Employment (EnviTE) as part of an engagement by North Coast Water and in February-March 2005 in excess of 14,000 seeds had been collected. This is one of the early activities to be undertaken as part of the Shannon Creek Restoration Management Plan and in line with consent conditions for the Clarence Valley & Coffs harbour Regional Water Supply Project

Image date: 15th July 2004

Installation by EcoCivil Pty Ltd of 1500mm Tee at the Nymboida penstocks, where the water is drawn from the Country Energy penstock, into the new Nymboida duplication pipeline.

Image date: 23 June 2004

North Coast Water's Executive Manager and EcoCivil's Project Manager inspect the installation of twin 900 diameter pipeline crossing over Blaxland Creek north, approx 6km south of Coutts Crossing - part of the Clarence Valley & Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply's Project Stage 1B pipeline construction

Image date: 23 June 2004

New twin 900mm diameter pipeline crossing installation over Blaxland Creek North, showing creekbed, June 2004. The pipeline crossing is part of the CV&CH RWS Project's Stage 1B pipeline construction by EcoCivil Pty Ltd for North Coast Water. The project is being project managed by NSW Department of Commerce, for North Coast Water.

Image date: 22 June 2004

A fleet of construction machinery was utilised in demolition of the existing 525mm diameter pipeline crossing and installation of new twin 900 diameter pipelines over Blaxland Creek North, in private property adjoining the Armidale Road south of Coutts Crossing. A 180 tonne crane from Brisbane worked on site 21-22/6/04, as part of the CV&CH RWS Project's Stage 1B pipeline construction activities.

Image date: 18 February 2004

Restoration activities by EcoCivil Pty Ltd following construction of new duplicaton pipeline beside Armidale Road, between Coutts Crossing and Nymboida

Image date: 3 December 2003

Installation of duplication pipeline up Loosemores Hill, approx 7km south of Coutts Crossing, by EcoCivil Pty Ltd, as part of Stage 1B pipeline construction (Nymboida to Rushforth Road Reservoir). The new pipeline will help secure the bulk water supply to the Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour prior to construction of Shannon Creek Storage.

Image date: 30 October 2003

Trencher and excavation equipment after unloading on site for commencement of Nymboida pipeline construction by EcoCivil Pty Ltd, for North Coast Water - as part of the Clarence Valley & Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply Project's Stage 1B duplication pipeline construction from Nymboida towards Rushforth Road Reservoir at South Grafton

Image date: 10 December 2002

Inlet to Karangi Dam, Coffs Harbour.
As part of North Coast Water’s regional drought management, the “CrossOver to Karangi pipeline” construction was accelerated – construction of the 62.5km pipeline was completed within a six month period and transfer of water from the Nymboida River to Karangi Dam commenced on 10th December 2002. Karangi Dam can now be utilised as a regional storage, prior to construction of Shannon Creek Storage (construction scheduled to commence Dec 2003).

Image date: 19 February 2003

Local landowners, Aboriginal and environmental groups attended a focus group meeting at Coutts Crossing on 19th February 2003 to provide input into the development of a Compensatory Habitat Management Plan for a 600ha area of land adjoining Shannon Creek Storage site owned by North Coast Water.

Karangi pipeline construction

Image Date: October 2002

Spark testing of Sintakote coating on a mild steel pipe being installed at Coramba, as part of the 62.5km pipeline from 'the CrossOver' near Coutts Crossing to Karangi Dam at Coffs Harbour. The spark tester checks the coating's integrity and identifies any marks that require repair. The pipeline will be operational by December 2002.

Shannon Creek Storage - geotechnical field work

Image Date: October 2002

Water pressure testing on the eastern abutment at the Shannon Creek Storage site approx 9km west of Coutts Crossing. Extensive geotechnical investigations are underway at the site, as part of the $1.6 million storage design activities being undertaken by DPWS Infrastructure & Environmental Services, for North Coast Water. Construction of the storage is scheduled to commence in late 2003.

Karangi pipeline

Image Date: 15th October 2002

electrical connection of motors at Glenreagh Booster Pumping Station, near Kremnos Creek

Karangi pipeline construction

Image Date: 11th October 2002

valve configuration ready for installation at the 'CrossOver' near Coutts Crossing - interconnection of Karangi & Nymboida pipelines"

Geologists check out 'down under' the dam site

Image Date September 2002

Dept Public Works and Services project geologists engaged on the detailed design of Shannon Creek Storage -discussing seismic refraction results from investigations at the site. The geotechnical work is expected to be completed in approx March 2003, prior to calling of tenders for construction of the 30,000ML storage. The storage design will accommodate possible future raising of the embankment to cater for 75,000ML storage capacity, if required in the future

River crossing & environmental management - near Coramba

Image Date: 3rd October 2002

Temporary culvert and environmental controls constructed at Hartleys Road (Orara River crossing). The temporary crossing provides an alternative heavy vehicle crossing of the river at this point. Environment protection measures include pipes installed under the temporary crossing to ensure river flows are maintained; silt fences erected to collect any sediment disturbed; geotextile fabric erected to contain imported fill material and to minimise siltation in the creek; erosion control fences to contain any eroded material washed from the access road and to prevent it entering the river.

Commencement of pipelaying on the “CrossOver” to Karangi pipeline route

Image Date: 24th June 2002

Construction activities under the Regional Water Supply Project, funded by Local Government and State Government, are well underway. North Coast Water is administering the project, including the current construction of 62km of underground pipeline from “the CrossOver” near Coutts Crossing to Karangi Dam at Coffs Harbour.
The pipeline work is being carried out by contractors Diona Pty Ltd and Milreece Pty Ltd, under the supervision of project managers Dept Public Works and Services.

Unloading ductile iron pipes at Stockpile No. 1, Bettong Drive, south of Coutts Crossing (for the “CrossOver to Karangi pipeline construction)

Image Date: 29th May 2002

The Karangi pipeline involves the laying of 7,500 pipes, being transported by 550 truckloads from Brisbane and Sydney to four stockpiles along the pipeline route. The pipeline construction work is scheduled for completion before Christmas 2002.