AGY-3795 | Lower Clarence County Council (1949-2001) / North Coast Water (2001-2004)

Full description

The Lower Clarence County District was constituted on 2 December 1949, comprising the municipalities of Maclean and Ulmarra, and the shires of Harwood and Orara. (1)

County districts were a means by which a number of local government areas could coordinate for a specific shared purpose, under the Local Government Act 1919 (Act No.41, 1919). The constituent councils would delegate specified powers to a county council to operate on their behalf. (2)

The Lower Clarence County Council was formed to manage supply of water for its constituent councils. The proclamation invested the new council with all the powers and duties the Local Government Act 1919 relating to water supply, and the ability to fund its operations through rates, loans, charges, fees and debentures. (3)

At the inaugural meeting of the Lower Clarence County held on 27 January 1950 the Minister for Local Government was requested to carry out a survey of the works necessary to provide water to the area, and an agreement was entered into regarding the apportionment of the cost of the survey. The Grafton and South Grafton Water Board arranged for a pipe valve to be installed in the reservoir at South Grafton to connect with the Lower Clarence Supply main. (4)

By 1952 the County Council had identified the need for a separate reticulation scheme at Yamba and obtained an estimate of £43,000 for the work. In 1954 Bank loans were secured to commence work for the Yamba water supply. The Yamba Urban Committee transferred the responsibility of water supply to the County Council in 1954. Work commenced on the first phase of construction in May 1955 and supply to Yamba was completed in 1958. (5)

The survey of the water supply needs of the Lower Clarence district commenced in March 1950 and was completed in May 1951, but State Government finance to construct the scheme was not available. The Government offered assistance if part of the money could be raised locally. Negotiations continued with the Department of Local Government for over a decade but funding did not commence until the 1961-62 financial year. (6)

Before 1962 the City of Grafton had been added to the Lower Clarence County District. In January 1962 this inclusion was amended, with approximately 6,800 acres of the City of Grafton being removed. This left 9280 acres of Grafton territory still within the district. (7)

On 24 January 1963 the Lower Clarence County Council and the Shire of Ulmarra agreed that the responsibility of the management and maintenance of the reticulation works within the parishes of Scope and Wooli Wooli be transferred to the Ulmarra Shire. This took effect following the proclamation of the agreement on 10 July 1964. (8)

The boundaries of the County Council were altered again in October 1965 when the parish of Southgate within the County of Clarence and the section of the parish of Great Marlow which formed part of the Shire of Copmanhurst were added to the area of the Council. The portion of Copmanhurst became an electorate with the requirement to elect a representative within a month following the proclamation of the boundary alterations. (9)

The 250mm-diameter main between Nymboida and Grafton was replaced by a 525mm one commencing in 1965. The costs of this was shared between the Grafton City Council (55.64%) and Lower Clarence County Council (44.36%). (10) The inadequacy of the system to meet demand for water led to the introduction of water restrictions in 1975. Major augmentation was planned to commence in two stages from 1984. The first stage took place in 1984-1989, enabling the restrictions to be relaxed in 1986. (11)

The constitution of the County Council was altered in August 1995 by adding to its boundaries the City of Coffs Harbour, the Nymboida Council Area and the part of the City of Grafton not previously included in the County Council area. The governing body of the Council was increased from ten to 12 and each constituent body was to elect two representatives. (12)

In 1995 a regional Water Scheme to supply bulk water to the Councils in the Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour was investigated. This was followed by an environmental impact statement and finally Ministerial approval in 1999. (13) The regional water scheme was a joint venture funded by Lower Clarence County Council (later trading as North Coast Water), the NSW Government and Coffs Harbour City Council. The Scheme consisted of a water efficiency program and a construction which included a 30,000ml off-stream storage at Shannon Creek and 90km underground pipeline distribution system linking the Nymboida River, Shannon Creek Storage, Rushford Road Reservoir at South Grafton and Karangi Dam at Coffs Harbour. (14)

The regional scheme in addition to demand management led to postponement of the second stage of the 1984-89 augmentation of the water supply. (15) The remainder of the Shire of Copmanhurst was added to the county district in 1998-1999. (16) In 2001 the Shires of Ulmarra and Nymboida were amalgamated as Pristine Waters, which replaced them on the county council. (17)

In 2001 the Lower Clarence County Council began trading under the name North Coast Water. (18) That year the functions of the county council were clarified by proclamation, as (a) the bulk and reticulated supply of water to Copmanhurst and Maclean; (b) bulk supply to Pristine Waters and Grafton, with partial reticulated supply to Pristine Waters; and (c) bulk supply to that part of Coffs Harbour between the city and the boundary with Pristine Waters. (19)

The Clarence River County Council was dissolved on 25 February 2004 with the restructuring of its constituent councils. The new Clarence Valley area subsumed most of the territory of the former county district, and was directed to negotiate an ongoing supply agreement with Coffs Harbour. (20)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.219, 2 December 1949, p.3593.
2. Local Government Act 1919 (Act No.41, 1919) ss.561, 564.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.219, 2 December 1949, p.3593.
4. NRS 9614. [7/1341A] - Lower Clarence.
5. NRS 9614. [7/1341A] - Lower Clarence.
6. NRS 9614. [7/1341A] - Lower Clarence.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.4, 12 January 1962, p.44.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.84, 10 July 1964, p.2157.
9. NSW Government Gazette No.131, 8 October 1965, p.3275.
10. North Coast Web site http://www.ncwater.nsw.gov.au/about/index.htm (accessed 3 November, 2003).
11. Ibid.
12. NSW Government Gazette No. 97, 11 August 1995, pp.4205-6.
13. North Coast Water website, op. cit.
14. Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply web site http://cvchrws.gov.com.au/main.htm (accessed 3 November 2003).
15. North Coast Water website, op. cit.
16. Department of Local Government annual report 1998/99, p.62.
17. NSW Government Gazette No.64, 26 May 2000, p.4481.
18. North Coast Water website, op. cit.
19. NSW Government Gazette No.103, 29 June 2001, pp.5123-24.
20. NSW Government Gazette No.46, 25 February 2004, pp.809-10, 820.