Proud Kamilaroi man Jason Allan who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Walhallow Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) and Liverpool Plains Shire Council councillor had pipe dreams of establishing infrastructure that guarantees clean water for the Walhallow community.

With support of Yusuf / Cat Stevens, this dream has partially been brought to fruition with the installation of twelve water tanks.

Mr Allan is now seeking to grow the number of tanks to provide more clean and free water to the Walhallow community whilst boosting local employment.

Seeing the positive impact this has had on the community, his sites are now set on additional infrastructure developments.

Rainwater tanks in Walhallow have been the community's primary source of water and hold a reputation for having incredibly high levels of e-coli.

Although community members reportedly don't get sick from the dangerous levels, visitors to the town are warned not to drink the tank water.

A 2017 study explored the community's preference for drinking rainwater over the neighboring town of Quirindi's water supply.

The findings included family tradition and culture and interestingly, a preference for the taste and feel of rainwater.

Rainwater tanks are often briming with bacteria predominantly due to bird droppings and frogs finding their way into the tanks.

Several studies throughout Australia have found high levels of E. coli, streptococci and salmonella, among others forms of bacteria.

Mr Allan wanted more for his community and had heard about hydro panels and how they create drinking water from sunlight and air.

Acquiring funding for infrastructure for the small community was difficult, but through the Yusuf / Cat Stevens Peace Train Solar-Water Scheme, Mr Allan was able to oversee the installation of twelve hydro-panels which were installed into the community in 2020.

"The twelve that we have, generate 70L of water per week which goes straight into community. We have free water for the community," Mr Allan said.

The Peace Train Solar Water Scheme is a project funded by Yusuf / Cat Stevens, famous for hits such as "Peace Train" "Morning Has Broken" and "Father and Son".

Mr Stevens who raises funds through his touring, has funded several additional projects in Australia which has included providing emergency supplies to fire brigades and communities in need during the 2019/20 bushfires.

Whilst providing clean water to the community, the hydro panels simultaneously enhance economic growth by means of employment.

"I'm trying to source funding to install 250 hydro panels that will generate 30,000 litres of water that we can bottle and sell," Mr Allan said.

"That project will provide employment for 18 full-time and 10-12 part time jobs.

"The current infrastructure proposal has allowed Walhallow LALC to apply for funding through NSWALC to investigate a feasibility and business case study for Cultural Tourism business.

"Walhallow LALC are also applying for the NSWALC Community Grant."

With infrastructure growth in view and the backing of Mr Allan, it's an exciting time for the Walhallow community and for the Liverpool Plains shire, who are still basking in the recent success of the Quirindi Silo's art display.

Mr Allan said the art includes representations of yiluwidi bandaarr (blue kangaroos), bawurra (red kangaroos), yurrandaali (tree goanna), gilaah galah (Murray cockatoo) and gugargagarr (kookaburra), dhinawan (emu) as well as hunters' and brolga stories.

"Full circles and empty circles, stories we have relearnt and stories we are yet to learn," Mr Allan said.

Mr Allan advised there are plans in place to upgrade the old preschool, to build a cultural centre and of course to introduce culturally centred agro-tourism to the area.

However funding is needed to get buildings up and running before sharing that the town and community halls are thirty years old and are in dire need of basic maintenance and restoration.

"We want to strengthen intergenerational wealth and capacity building, our focus now is on economic development," he said.

"Our community take pride in who we are and what we are. We want to open up the Liverpool Plains, we want to show visitors the 'black soil country'.

"We are a central part of the food bowl of the Liverpool Plains."

Cultural knowledge runs strong in the community of Walhallow.

"We know about 90% of our cultural sites which we have logged and documented" Mr Allan explained.

"There's the Mooki river, scar trees, axe heads and all stuff along there an old canoe tree."

He said there are female and male sites that have been documented, while adding that the National Parks and Wildlife Coolah Tops will be establishing a Koala Corridor "to get the koala population up."

Tours on Country are underway, with the New South Wales Department of Community and Justice have recently joining Mr Allan for a cultural tour, where he shared his knowledge of land and historical sites.

This essential joint partnership has been established to foster relationships between community members and the Department's officials.