Liquid positions prove fluid ...
From the Courier Mail:
Liquid positions prove fluid
By Amanda Gearing
1 August 2006
Light rain fell yesterday in thirsty Toowoomba as water supply alternatives were taken down from the shelf.
Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine will meet Premier Peter Beattie, State Development Minister Anna Bligh and Water Minister Henry Palaszczuk this morning to arrange a meeting this week between the State Government and Toowoomba City Council to look at options after the failure of the weekend's recycled water referendum.
A pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam to Cressbrook Dam would offer long-term water security to Toowoomba but a dam at Emu Creek also was possible, he said.
Toowoomba city councillor Lyle Shelton, who led opposition to recycling sewage for drinking water, said the community, surrounding shires and irrigators needed to be drawn together in a summit within the next two to three weeks to explore water conservation and supply options.
He said the city needed to join the southeast Queensland water grid and be included in regional water planning.
"We have been left out and that was done without council knowledge or approval," he said.
Cr Shelton said the quickest option to ease Toowoomba's water shortage was a water trade with irrigators 60km west of the city who were willing to give priority supply of potable water to Toowoomba.
He said some of the $18 million to $20 million the council already had allocated for the failed water recycling scheme could be immediately diverted to build a pipeline from Norwin, northwest of the city.
This could come on line in six to 12 months to blend bore water with existing dam water and extend the dam supply.
The project would need a State Government subsidy to meet the overall cost estimated by engineers Farr Evratt at $40 million.
Cr Shelton said in the long term a dam was needed at Emu Creek, a steep-sided valley that was identified as a potential dam site decades ago.
Funding for the dam, estimated to cost up to $170 million, should be entirely funded by the Government as part of the state water grid, he said.
The same urgency the State Government is showing towards building dams for Ipswich, Logan and Brisbane should be shown towards building a dam for the people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, he said.
Source - Courier Mail - Liquid positions prove fluid.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 7:33 AM
3 Comments:
From ABC News:
Treated effluent not needed for drinking: Townsville mayor
The Townsville mayor says there is no need for the city to consider adding treated effluent to the drinking water.
The Premier, Peter Beattie, plans to hold a referendum in 2008 to poll south-east Queenslanders on the use of recycled effluent for drinking water.
It comes after 60 per cent of Toowoomba residents voted on the weekend against a plan to add recycled effluent to drinking water.
Councillor Tony Mooney says the city will continue with its plan to reuse all of its effluent for industry.
"Provided we get some support from other levels of government we can make treated effluent very attractive for industry and areas like parks and gardens.
"I don't foresee the need to go down the track and bring treated effluent into our drinking supplies here in Townsville, that would be a long way off and for another administration way down the track."
2:10 AM, August 01, 2006
Why is Beattie not talking to the main players in the debate in Toowoomba?
Options have been put forward that do stack up and the Premier needs a win, so Peter come on and talk to the people of Toowoomba.
Thorley must go as she is still not listening to her people!!!!!
8:40 AM, August 01, 2006
You can certainly see how dictators get their start.
Thankfully, on this ocassion, a few good people stood up to the Mayor and then 62% said NO.
8:26 PM, August 02, 2006
Post a Comment
<< Home