Anna makes it clear - SEQ will drink 100% recycled water ...
On ABC News last evening, Deputy Premier Anna Bligh made her government's intentions clear.
If you thought the 25-29% recycled water cocktail proposed by Mayor Thorley was "high by international standards and would need detailed review and further studies", she's gone one better in her aim for a world first.
The Deputy Premier says there's NO limit on the percentage recycled water she would ask SEQ residents to drink - 50%, 80% - let's try 100%.
But there's no water crisis, because the QWC head says there isn't ...
Excerpt from the Courier Mail (annotated):
Cap off recycled limit
25 January 2007
A maximum limit to the amount of recycled water that could be pumped into southeast Queensland's drinking supplies has been ditched by the State Government.
Admitting the region faced a water crisis, Acting Premier Anna Bligh yesterday revealed there would be no percentage cap to recycled water if the March 17 plebiscite was passed.
"The advice we have is this water, purified and treated to the appropriate level, is 100 per cent safe," she said. [Can we have Anna's guarantee on that?]
Ms Bligh's comments are in stark contrast to the plebiscite's announcement in December when Premier Peter Beattie mooted a 10 per cent cap.
The plebiscite question will ask southeast Queensland residents whether they will accept recycled water as a permanent source of supply.
However, recycled water will still be added into the region's main water catchment, Wivenhoe Dam, if an emergency situation arises.
Ms Bligh said the Government would decide within the next week what level the dam would have to be to constitute an emergency.
If current consumption rates continue and there is no significant rain, Wivenhoe Dam could be as low as 5 per cent capacity by the time the recycled water pipeline is completed at the end of next year.
Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney said he was concerned by Ms Bligh's admission that there would be no maximum limit.
"It would make it very difficult to support (the plebiscite)," he said.
Ms Bligh's admission there was a water crisis came a day after Water Commissioner Elizabeth Nosworthy claimed on Tuesday there was no crisis.
Ms Bligh said Ms Nosworthy maintained her "complete confidence" and her comments were "taken out of context".
Earlier yesterday, Ms Nosworthy backed away from her previous denial there was a crisis, saying the situation was "extremely grave". [Flip-flopping Beattie style]
Ms Bligh also revealed plans to use extraordinary power passed in Parliament last year to ensure three critical water infrastructure projects were not delayed.
The powers mean the projects – the recycled water pipeline, the Gold Coast desalination plant and the southern pipeline that will link the plant to Brisbane – will not be tied up in red tape or land owner legal action.
Ms Bligh described the enacting of the powers as an "insurance policy" against delays.
See - Courier Mail - 100% recycled water ok by Anna.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 7:05 AM
8 Comments:
Bet the scientists at UNSW are pulling their hair out. They present their report and then the politicians start talking about something close to direct potable reuse. Anna wants to pump it direct to your door - 50-80% - no worries.
Recycled sewage is a hard sell - Anna just made it harder. And threatening people with emergency powers is just going to get their back up.
9:27 PM, January 24, 2007
This is absolute madness as even Dr Lesley said we could not go there with out a lot more testing.
They are all in panic mode and should take a pill and have a lie down for a while.
The No vote is getting stronger with these statements.
10:07 PM, January 24, 2007
Anna may well be playing her astute game of political survival - Nuttall is in court tomorrow.
11:00 PM, January 24, 2007
I cannot believe that the Deputy Premier of this state would make such a politically damning statement
regarding adding 100% recycled sewage water to the Wivenhoe dam.
She has just blown their Referendum - sorry - plebiscite -out of the water. What is the use of spending ten million dollars on a Poll if we are going to get this water whether we want it or not?
Shades of Hitler or maybe - running round like a chook with its head cut off! nuff said. As for Jeff Seeney, did he really say that?
7:01 AM, January 25, 2007
How many people in Brisbane are going to happily drink 100% recycled water when it comes out of their taps at home and out of the taps in shops and restaurants? How many export businesses will suffer because they will have to mark their products "made with 100% recycled sewage water"??
11:13 AM, January 25, 2007
From news.com.au
Nuttall appears in court
Former Queensland health minister Gordon Nuttall has been remanded on bail after appearing in court on corruption charges today.
Nuttall has been charged with 35 counts of corruptly receiving payments between October 2002 and September 2005, as part of a secret $300,000 loan from mining magnate Ken Talbot.
At a brief appearance in Brisbane Magistrates Court, Nuttall was remanded on bail on his own undertaking until a further review of the case on March 14.
His solicitor asked that he be excused from the review, and Nuttall is not expected to appear.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Crime and Misconduct Commission. Nuttall retired at last September's state election after 14 years in politics.
Mr Talbot, the founder of Macarthur Coal, is facing 35 related charges of corruptly making the payments and will appear in court next month.
Nuttall also faces an investigation by the parliamentary ethics committee into why he did not declare the $300,000 loan on the public register
11:22 AM, January 25, 2007
What's going on down George Street? Remember these comments were less than 2 months ago.
ABC News
1 December 2006
Beattie outlines recycled water content
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says the drinking water supply in the state's south-east is likely to contain about 10 per cent recycled water if residents vote 'yes' next year.
Nineteen council areas will take part in a plebiscite in March.
Toowoomba residents this year rejected a similar proposal, but Mr Beattie says that was for a 25 per cent mix.
"I don't think our per cent will be anywhere near that," he said.
"I think it's likely to be in the 10 per cent category, outside of emergencies which may then be a bit higher.
"So in other words, it will be a different percentage, so it's a different question."
ABC News
1 December 2006
Beattie steps up attack on Nuttall
The Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has stepped up his attack on former minister Gordon Nuttall.
Mr Beattie already wants Mr Nuttall expelled from the Labor Party for not declaring a $300,000 loan from a businessman.
Now the Premier is even angrier at reports Mr Nuttall has tried to justify himself by saying the money was received in monthly instalments.
"Half smart, half clever, half stupid, and was against any confidence that I had in him as a person," he said.
Mr Beattie says the instalments still add up to an annual total that should have been disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Premier has revealed he is thinking about proposing a 10 per cent mix of recycled water when south-east Queenslanders vote in a plebiscite.
"There was a parallel position with London," he said.
"They had roughly 10 per cent, but they had an extreme position of 70 and I said we would go nowhere near that."
Nineteen council areas will vote in March.
11:38 AM, January 25, 2007
Singapore is max. 1%. This will be 100% recycled water coming out of your taps and in every cup of coffee!
11:52 AM, January 25, 2007
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