Bourke, outback NSW, has not seen meaningful rain in seven years and while its 2,500 residents prepare for unprecedented water restrictions, their dire plight has helped propel environmental concerns into NSW’s political spotlight.
Mick Whitbread has lived in Bourke his entire life, but worries he will be in the last generation to do that.
The town in far-west NSW, population 2,500, is drying and dying.
It has not seen meaningful rain in seven years and his family lives off bottled water when they can afford it.
The environment has emerged as a major concern for NSW voters, who are preparing to head to the polls on March 23.
Labor polling has consistently had it among the top three issues for voters this campaign.
Liberal numbers indicate climate change is of major concern too, particularly in inner-Sydney.
In regional areas — which have been gripped by a crippling drought — the focus is on water.
Bourke is on the cusp of entering stage five restrictions for the first time. That means no washing cars or watering lawns.
Only one bucket of unfiltered — or “raw” — water can be used per day on gardens.
The Whitbreads do their bit — their three young children shower together — but it’s a short-term solution and Mick says “people are going to pack up and move”.
Picturing the town where their children will grow up is hard.
“It is worrying, whether or not there is going to be a future in Bourke for them,” Mr Whitbread says.
“Is the town going to survive?”
Stage five water restrictions will be enforced when water levels in the Bourke Weir dip below 2 metres.
Yesterday, they were at 2.06m.
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