Mayor Thorley commissions yet another report ...

... to tell her what she wants to hear.

She's getting desperate!

From ABC News (annotated):

Mayor says report vindicates water futures support

20 July 2006

The Toowoomba Mayor, in south-eastern Queensland, says the release of another independent report proves the council's water recycling project is the right option for the city.

The council-commissioned report has found residents will have to pay more for their water regardless of which option is chosen to drought-proof the city.

[It's a pity that Mayor Thorley's recycled sewage project won't actually drought-proof Toowoomba.]

The water futures project would cost ratepayers an extra $40 a year, while piping water from coal seam gas mines will cost an extra $580 a year.

[And how much will it cost ratepayers if water comes from the Norwin irrigators?]

Di Thorley says the report vindicates her staff who have been attacked for supporting the water futures project.

Meanwhile, the Coalition candidate for Toowoomba North, Lyle Shelton, says the city council is using the cost of other water options to scare voters into ticking yes in the Water Futures vote.

Mr Shelton says other towns and cities are solving their water shortage problems without resorting to recycling effluent for drinking supplies.

"The only way to get people to accept that we should drink recycled sewerage water is to convince people that there are no other options - that is completely untrue, there are other options, they are affordable and if there were no other options for Toowoomba there would be no other option for Brisbane, which is spending billions making sure its community doesn't drink recycled sewerage water," he said.

Source - ABC News - Mayor Thorley will need another report!


One of the problems with Mayor Thorley's so called 'independent' reports which she keeps commissioning at ratepayers' expense is that none of them review the actual costs of the Water Futures project.

None of her reports tell the truth - that Acland Coal is highly unlikely to take the Reverse Osmosis waste stream from her recycled sewage plant. The evaporation ponds that would be required for storage of the waste will DOUBLE the project's costs.

But she won't tell you that. Nor will her reports.

Why is that?

Mayor Thorley, you can spend the rest of our $465,000 on your reports.

It won't change the fact that Toowoomba voters just don't TRUST you ...