Tamworth Regional Council has reaffirmed its intention to rehabilitate the Paradise Pumping Station site but will fill in the three wells rather than cap them to ensure the project cost does not increase.
Councillors at tonight’s Ordinary Meeting agreed to the move after they considered a report which included advice from the NSW Department of Industry – Water about the need for a cap to be “structurally designed and constructed”.
The report said the cost of the capping would be about $300,000. The original plan to rehabilitate the site and turn it into a space for daytime recreation was costed at $481,000 and included an allowance of $100,000 for the required filling and remediation of the wells.
The report said if further ground water was needed in the future, it would cost significantly less – $50,000 – to install a new bore in the area and Council should not proceed with the more expensive option of capping.
The rehabilitation of the site – to be funded from the Water Reserve – will include a pergola, park benches and landscaping. Work is expected to start in the new financial year.
