Turnbull - this isn't the Republic referendum ...

Seems MP Turnbull has so little interest in Toowoomba and the recycled sewage project that he is not concerned that the referendum is conducted in a transparent manner.

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Government washes its hands of Toowoomba's recycled water poll

25 April 2006

THE Federal Government will not be drawn into any feuding over the poll to decide whether recycled wastewater should be injected into the city's water supply.

"The process of the referendum is up to the council," a spokesman for Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, overseeing water policy," said.

But there is mounting community concern over Toowoomba City Council's decision to set aside $760,000 – $300,000 for the poll and $460,000 to only fund the Yes case.

The council's rationale is that $460,000 is 1% of the combined Commonwealth and State governments contributions to the Water Futures Toowoomba project provided the Yes case is successful.


The article goes on to state that "Cr Michele Alroe said the money would be refunded if the Yes case were successful."

Councillor Alroe's only basis for saying this would be if the Council deducted this amount from the Federal government funding, however, there was nothing in the Federal government conditional approval which expressly permits this.

Councillor Shelton was less than impressed by Friday night's antics:

"I don't believe this is what John Howard had in mind when he and Malcolm Turnbull decided that a referendum must be held.

"I would appeal to the Prime Minister's sense of fair play to immediately halt this distorted process," Cr Shelton said.

"Council has already spent tens of thousand of dollars with multinational company CH2M Hill trying to convince people that recycled sewage for drinking is routine and safe.

"This whole process is a sick joke."

See - Turnbull washes his hands of Toowomba referendum.