What's the Qld Government's view?

The Water Futures Toowoomba website states that "[t]he Project has the support of the Queensland State Government".

See - Toowoomba Water Futures website.

But what has the Qld Government said in the past?

The Queensland Water Recycling Strategy, October 2001 states the following:

"The National Research Council of the USA (NRC) has investigated the viability of this type of indirect potable use [surface water storage of treated effluent] (National Research Council 1998). While it identified no obvious adverse health effects, it observed that the existing data was sparse and of a limited nature." (Page 23)

"The option of indirect potable use through the dilution and storage of highly treated effluent is not on the agenda of the Queensland Government. The above overseas trends should however be noted and monitored, especially with regard to the extent to which public and environmental health is safeguarded, and the community is
fully aware and its concerns are addressed." (Page 23)

"As new technologies allow further applications that are safe for people and the environment, the strategy will be updated. But change will always reflect community views." (Forward)

See - Qld Government comments.

The Queensland Government Public Consultation Draft - Queensland Guidelines for the Safe Use of Recycled Water state:

"If recycled water from a STP [sewerage treatment plant] is used for this purpose [indirect potable use] it should only take place after careful, thorough, project-specific assessment has taken place that includes contaminant monitoring, health and safety testing, and system reliability evaluation. This should include a health impact assessment conducted in accordance with the Queensland Health Department's Health Impact Assessment Framework as well as preparation of a Recycled Water Safety Plan incorporating health risk assessment."
(Page 65)

"Direct ingestion of recycled water has the greatest risk of causing disease, as it is capable of delivering the largest dose." (Page 30) [Note: the Toowoomba proposal is for indirect potable use.]

"The Queensland Government supports a consistent national approach to water recycling in Australia." (Page 6)

See - Qld government - safe use of recycled water.


So the Qld Government quotes the National Research Council of the USA finding that the existing data is sparse and of a limited nature.

The Government says that the option of indirect potable use of recycled water is not on the agenda (as at 2001) but it will monitor overseas trends provided "the community is fully aware and its concerns are addressed" and any "change will always reflect community views".

Now the Qld Government supports the Toowoomba project?

Has the community been made fully aware? Have its concerns been addressed? Will change reflect community views or will change be forced down Toowoomba residents' throats?

Where are the health impact assessment and the recycled water safety plan?

Why are decisions being made before the Qld Government's Guidelines for the Safe Use of Recycled Water are even finalised?

This issue is starting to raise a lot of questions ...