Mayor Thorley's recycled sewage campaign in serious trouble ...

From the Chronicle:

Coalition 'follows community lead' on recycled drinking water

LAWRENCE Springborg will not drink recycled water and believes no-one else should have to either.

The State Opposition Leader was in Toowoomba yesterday to announce Coalition policy to legislate against adding recycled sewage to a community's drinking supply, as is currently planned for Toowoomba.

Mr Springborg said he had followed the lead of the Toowoomba community in rejecting recycling for drinking and questioning "unproven" science.

Rather than drink recycled water Mr Springborg advocated projects he believed could be up and running in less than two years, including trading water with Norwin irrigators west of Toowoomba, recycling only for use on gardens and by irrigators, and piping water extracted from the Chinchilla gas fields, all of which have been rejected by Toowoomba City Council.

Mr Springborg said a Coalition government would fast-track the construction of a pipeline from the Chinchilla gas fields to supply Toowoomba, Dalby and Oakey.

"You've got all of these options that can be investigated," he said. "(But) it's not been properly considered by council."

Council last year rejected the Chinchilla proposal after costing its production at $2.07 per kilolitre compared to 80 cents for the Water Futures recycling proposal. Council also costed the Norwin scheme at $1.50 per kilolitre.

However, Mr Springborg said extra costs were warranted if it meant people would not have to drink "recycled sewage" and he vowed to "stand by" Toowoomba in finding solutions.

"It is very clear from what we are hearing in this community that the majority of people do not want to drink recycled sewage," Mr Springborg said.

"All the facts haven't been laid on the table."

Toowoomba Mayor Dianne Thorley, who is famously passionate about council's project to recycle effluent into Cooby Dam, said she "noted with interest" Mr Springborg's comments.

"Recycled water is actually Liberal Party policy so I don't understand how a Coalition can have such diverse points of view," Cr Thorley said. [Yes, but not for drinking.]

Surrounded by his National Party colleagues after two days of shadow cabinet meetings in Toowoomba, Mr Springborg said Toowoomba City Council was wrong in forcing recycled water on to the community before exploring all options available.

Member for Toowoomba South Mike Horan said Norwin irrigators were sitting above 33,000Ml of yearly sustainable water which could easily be traded with Toowoomba water or with future recycled water. Toowoomba's annual consumption is 14,000Ml.

Mr Springborg rejected taking a populist position but said he was working to protect Toowoomba's drinking supply.

"We will not leave Toowoomba high and dry," he said.

See - Opposition says no to drinking recycled water.