CROOKWELL may soon be cooking with gas, if plans to get a natural gas pipeline to the town gain momentum.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There is a renewed push for a connection for Crookwell to the Moomba-Sydney gas network, courtesy of a few progressive businessmen and councillors.
Crookwell Progress Association president David Johnson has been one of the main supporters of the project, along with Cr Paul Culhane.
Mr Johnson says the idea has the support of local, state and federal governments.
“I asked Member for Hume Angus Taylor about it before the Federal Election,” Mr Johnson said.
“It is hard to get wood out here, which is the main form of heating and it is also an ageing population.
“Angus Taylor said we need to get industry here and then the pipeline will come, but I think if we build it the industries will come.
“We already have large gas users in the hospital and schools.
“They use gas bottles and domestically there is an unreliability of supply via this method, so I don’t know if this also affects these places as well.”
He said Crookwell had 1300 homes and a population of 2700 and was growing.
“At the last Census (in 2011) the average age was 46. I reckon it has aged since then to about 60 now. There are a lot of retirees here and the demographics have changed. Why can't we have this service? We are taxpayers.
“As the Progress Association, we want to see it the town grow and we encourage small industry to come here. Pru Goward said she would support it and we have another meeting with Angus Taylor in October.”
The pipeline could come via Gunning or Goulburn, but Mr Johnson said if it came via Goulburn there were already three chicken sheds near Bannister that were large gas users.
“On council election day (September 10) we will be conducting a survey of residents to get their input,” he said.
“There is a lot of interest in this. A matrix (or business case) is being produced.
“We estimate it could cost $8 million to get the pipeline here.”
Upper Lachlan Shire Mayor John Shaw said it was “a great initiative”.
“Times have changed and the town is ready for it,” Cr Shaw said.
“We have tried to explore opportunities to push this along and we need to keep on the front foot with it and something will come of it.”