Cowarra Dam Public Art Project Booklet.pdf (1.17 ... - Hastings Council

Building Bridges
and a Big Dam
Water is a precious resource especially during times of drought.
Back in 1985, Hastings Council realised it needed a long-term strategy
for drought-proofing Hastings’ water supply and decided that the
growing district would need a second “off-creek storage” dam. Research
indicated that Cowarra State Forest offered the best site.
Aware that Bunyah LALC was the custodian of the land in this
area, Hastings Council and the Department of Works and Services
representatives (now Department of Commerce) approached the Land
Council to seek support for the project and discuss how they might
work together.
These discussions identified that training and employment
opportunities were a high priority for the Land Council and once
sufficient trust and understanding was established, an agreement was
reached. Bunyah LALC assisted in the process of extinguishing native
title on the site to allow the Cowarra Dam to proceed and opened the
doors to employment and training opportunities on the project for
Bunyah people.
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