Toowoomba on 'Shocks and Shockers' list ...

From yesterday's Chronicle:

City on "Shocks and Shockers' list

By Greg Berghofer

Toowoomba Mayor Dianne Thorley has declined to comment on a national television program that rated Toowoomba City Council's plans to introduce recycled sewage into its drinking water supply as number 15 in a list of Shocks and Shockers.

Cr Thorley said yesterday she did not see the program and therefore could not comment on its content.

On Tuesday night, Channel 9 screened the program as part of its 20 to 1 series, which rates topical events and issues, counting them down from number 20 to number one.

The program billed as Australia's 20 biggest Shocks or Shockers didn't make it clear if it considered the recycling plan to be a shock or a shocker.

Television and media personalities were asked to give their admittedly uninformed opinion on Toowoomba's plan to drink recycled sewage and many expressed extreme discomfort.

Those knee-jerk reactions were balanced with opinion from others who had further investigated sewage recycling.

The show also had file footage of prominent No campaigner Clive Berghofer claiming the plan gave Toowoomba the mantle of Poowoomba or S**t City.

The program used puns such as "Toowoomba voters poo-pooing the proposal in the July poll.


Once again, thank you Mayor Thorley for your invaluable help in putting Toowoomba on Australia's tourism map ...