Dungowan dam doubles in projected costs, has no business case, no environmental approval yet is ‘moving ahead’

It's been called a "flawed" project by the productivity commission. It still has no business case or environmental approval and it's already doubled in cost before construction can begin.

But this week the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, announced the Dungowan dam near Tamworth was "moving ahead".

Together with the New South Wales water minister, Kevin Anderson, Joyce travelled to the old dam to announce the project - one of the biggest water infrastructure projects in the last two decades - again.

"Today we're here at the site of the existing Dungowan dam to announce real progress on this important piece of water infrastructure," Joyce said.

"I've never stopped fighting for this project, and this is a big step towards securing water security for Tamworth for years to come."

Anderson said, "Since I have taken up the responsibility of minister for lands and water, I have been pushing hard to get this project moving, to get shovels in the ground, and I believe significant progress has been made in regard to the new Dungowan Dam."

The "progress", announced in a National party media release rather than a government one, is that a final business case "has been lodged with Infrastructure NSW and Infrastructure Australia", and that it would be considered by the NSW government in the next month.