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Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 18 April 2008 LOCAL WATER UTILITIES INQUIRY - PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD AT INVERELL Water Minister, Nathan Rees has announced that a public hearing will be held in Inverell in the State’s northwest as part of the Iemma Government’s Inquiry into regional water and sewerage services. Public hearings are already underway in 15 centres around NSW and with an additional hearing to be held on May 12 at Inverell. Strong representations on this from the Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay as well as a number of Councils, the government has been able to arrange a further hearing date. It was in fact at Inverell where plans were announced for an inquiry as to how the Government could best assist our local water utilities at the Local Government and Shires Association Water Management Conference in August last year. The Inquiry aims to identify the most effective arrangements for the long term sustainable provision of town water supply and sewerage services in country NSW and is headed by former NSW Deputy Premier Ian Armstrong OBE and the former head of the NSW Premier’s Department, Dr Colin Gellatly. The Government is committed to drought proofing our regional centres, country towns and rural villages – the public hearings provide a venue for local communities, councils, businesses, interest groups and individuals to take part in the process. This will not be a Macquarie St, or one size fits all, solution. We want the local communities to be the drivers of the Inquiry and its outcomes. The Government wants councils and stakeholders to identify the most effective governance arrangements for the sustainable provision of water and sewerage services that enable utilities to respond and plan in advance to the challenges facing the industry. The hearing will be held on Monday 12 May at the Inverell R.S.M. Club, 68-76 Evans Street (times will be available on the Department of Water and Energy’s website prior to the event). Organisations and individuals are invited to make a presentation by registering beforehand with the Department. Observers are also asked to register to attend. For more information or to register, please visit: http://www.dwe.nsw.gov.au/water/utilities_local.shtml or phone: (02) 8281 7319.   MEDIA CONTACTS: Department of Water and Energy Frances Wood (02) 8281 7461 or 0437 596 103 Level 17, 227 Elizabeth St, SYDNEY NSW 2000 GPO Box 3889, Sydney NSW 2001 Facsimile (02) 8281 7450 Top of Page List of Media Releases © NSW Department of Natural Resources