Crunch time for recycling ...

From the Courier Mail

Crunch time for recycling

By Brendan O'Malley

22 July 2006

Toowoomba's costly referendum on water recycling could be the last time the issue of reusing purified sewage for drinking water is put to the people.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary for water, Malcolm Turnbull, said the July 29 referendum was called in response to "special circumstances".

While referenda could not be ruled out in other towns considering recycling treated sewage for drinking, such as Goulburn in NSW, the Toowoomba vote was needed because of the well-organised opposition to recycling.

"There were special circumstances leading to the need for a referendum in Toowoomba's case," the spokeswoman said.

"A concerted no campaign had gained momentum and the Commonwealth did not believe it would be possible to determine community support unless the matter was put to a referendum."

The Toowoomba poll will end up costing more than $600,000, including $460,000 of ratepayers' money for a public education campaign for the yes case.

Mr Turnbull was believed to be considering a request from Toowoomba Mayor Di Thorley to allow the council to pay for the education campaign using part of a $23 million Commonwealth grant for the recycling project.

The council denied it had paid its staff to hand out how-to-vote leaflets outside the pre-polling office at City Hall.

But Lyle Shelton, one of three councillors opposed to recycling, said catering staff had been used to hand out coffee, pizzas and other free food at education functions.

"They have also been offering free tickets to Pirates of the Caribbean if people turn up to their education sessions, which makes you wonder if that is an improper inducement," he said.

Cr Shelton said a council internal email revealed it would organise accommodation for anyone who travelled to Toowoomba to hand out yes case material.

The Queensland Greens planned to bus in supporters on July 29 to help the yes case.

"That just shows there is so little backing for the council that they have to get extremists or people from outside town," Cr Shelton said.

Source - Courier Mail - Crunch time for recycling.