Jerrara Dam was built by the NSW government in 1955 to supplement Kiama’s water supply.
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In 1975, it was no longer needed as a supply dam and was transferred to the ownership of Kiama Council.
The council resolved to decommission Jerrara Dam in 2013 at an estimated cost of $1.3 million after concerns were raised by a safety committee.
In October that year, Kiama councillors voted 8-1 to decommission the dam, arguing other options for the 53-hectare earth-fill embankment dam were too expensive.
The dam had regularly been the subject of emergency warnings or "amber" alerts during heavy rain.
Though the integrity of the dam wall was never in question, the NSW Dam Safety Committee had concerns, which were based on updated climate forecasts, about overtopping at the dam in extreme weather circumstances.
