Brisbane City Council - prepare for flooding ...

Brisbane City Council embarks on an internet marketing campaign to warn Brisbane residents of the possibility of flooding.

See - BCC - It may rain after all.

Debnam's recycled water taste tests fail ...

...polls show NSW Labor to win with increased majority.

"The NSW Coalition has failed to make any impact at all with the voters - in fact they have gone backwards," said ACNielsen's research director, John Stirton.

See - SMH - Team Debnam faces disaster.

Why even Paris Hilton can't help the recycled water cause ...

There are some interesting 'statistics' on the public's acceptance of recycled water being floated around State parliament.

Here's another one to add to the pile:

Given the choice between watching Paris Hilton hose herself with tap water or with recycled water, viewers chose the tap water video by 1,239,826 views to 195.

See - Paris tap water video - 1,239,826 views.
See - Paris recycled water video - 195 views.

With the silly 'surveys' currently being touted by some State politicians, this one fits right in ...

Debnam conducts 'scientific' taste tests ...

Excerpt from Border Mail:

Debnam’s stunt, Morris’s punt

23 February 2007

Syd Payne wasn’t to be fooled when NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam thrust a cup of water at him and invited him to taste it.

“This is a stunt is it?,” asked Mr Payne, 83.

“No this is a test, this is a scientific test on the streets,” replied Mr Debnam.

Whether it was a stunt, or a scientific test, Mr Debnam was out on the streets of Sydney’s Manly yesterday campaigning over water.

With water shaping as the key issue in the March 24 election, Mr Debnam was offering taste tests to promote his policy of adding treated effluent to Sydney’s drinking water supply if dam levels drop to 20 per cent.

He was in Manly because it’s a marginal, independent-held seat the Liberal Party hopes to win.

Keen to discuss the positives of recycled water with fellow passengers on the Manly ferry, Mr Debnam at first had a problem finding any Australians, let alone NSW residents.

After speaking to several English tourists, Mr Debnam finally found the Bannermans, a couple from nearby Collaroy.

Unfortunately for Mr Debnam though, Jim Bannerman isn’t too keen on drinking tap water, let alone treated effluent.

He eventually conceded he could be persuaded to drink treated sewage.

“Mind you, for a little while I might boil it then drink it later, but that’s just me,” Mr Bannerman said.

Mr Debnam was greeted with curious looks at Manly wharf, with several people asking “Is he a politician?”, while one young boy approached the Opposition Leader to ask: “Are you the government?”.

See - Debnam hangs career on changing people's perceptions in 6 weeks.

Bligh in denial ...

Excerpt from the Sunday Mail:

Bligh in denial over water cuts

25 February 2007

The State Government was warned three months ago in Parliament that Queensland faced Level 8 water restrictions this year but dismissed it.

Nationals Deputy Leader Fiona Simpson raised concerns on November 1 about the prospect of unprecedented water bans.

But she was laughed at by Labor, with Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure Anna Bligh leading the charge.

"I confirm that there is not only no such thing as Level 8, but also there is no such thing as Level 7 or Level 6," Ms Bligh told Parliament.

But Queensland Water Commissioner Elizabeth Nosworthy announced on Friday that Level 5 restrictions were imminent and southeast Queensland could soon face Level 6 or 7.

Ms Simpson, Opposition spokeswoman for state development, yesterday accused the Government of hiding the truth from Queenslanders.

"Our sources told us there had been discussions at department and government level on Level 8 restrictions. We were told the restrictions would be harsh and significant, but the Government claimed they did not exist."

Ms Nosworthy said regional mayors would be briefed on March 9 about Level 5 restrictions, likely start on April 10.

Level 5 restrictions are expected to include a ban on outdoor watering and pool top-ups, plus tougher measures for residential, business and industry.

Ms Nosworthy said she would provide mayors with the "broad outline" of Level 6 or 7 restrictions.

If Queensland follows other authorities, Level 7 and 8 restrictions could limit homes to 400 litres of water a day for drinking, showering, washing up and doing the laundry.

See - Bligh in denial over water cuts.

See als0 - Level 7 on water radar.

Level 5 water restrictions - Leahy's view ...

See - Level 5 water restrictions.

Macquarie Bank and PM Howard's $10b Murray-Darling plan ...

Excerpt from news.com.au:

Macquarie Bank has set its sights on the drought-stricken bush, buying up precious water rights from struggling farmers.

Dubbed the Millionaires' Factory, it is one of a group of big, city-based corporations cornering water permits in the Murray-Darling basin.

See - MacBank targets water rights.

Macquarie Bank buys up water rights. PM Howard $10b Murray-Darling plan includes a buyback of water rights. You get the picture ...

The three amigos of climate change ...

See - SMH - the three amigos of climate change.

Minister Turnbull - it's all about the money ...

Excerpt from the Sunday Mail:

Australia's richest politician, Malcolm Turnbull, is using his taxpayer-funded travel allowance to pay $175 a night rent for a Canberra townhouse owned by his wife.

And under allowances for spouses, he claims another $10 a night payment when wife Lucy stays in the $800,000 home, located in the trendy inner Canberra suburb of Griffith, just a stone's throw from Parliament House.

Mrs Turnbull even raised the rent for her husband from $170 to $175 a night in September 2005.

See - Sunday Mail - MP allowance goes to wife.

Minister Turnbull's response:

I'm entitled to it. It's within the rules.

See - SMH - Turnbull defends rent payments to wife.

When is enough enough? Why claim the extra $10 a night for his wife? His arrogance ensures that he fails to recognise the issue of 'perception'. How much more political mileage would he have gained if he didn't claim it? And all it would have cost was $10 a night ...

PM Howard close to Murray-Darling deal ...

See - Drought deal (almost) done.

Meanwhile, an expert panel finds Traveston Dam unnecessary.

See - There's no dam need.

Water stunt recycles on Debnam ...

Excerpt from the Daily Telegraph:

Water stunt recycles on Debnam

23 February 2007

An election campaign stunt to spruik recycled water backfired on Opposition Leader Peter Debnam yesterday after it was revealed he tried to pass town water off as recycled water.

Debnam set up a taste test between tap and "recycled" water at Manly.

"Of all the people we have tested only one has actually been able to say there is a difference," Debnam said. "The others said there is no difference."

That's because, according to the rest of the world, there is none.

Water Services Association of Australia president Ross Young said by international standards Debnam's taste test water was not recycled.

"That's not the recycling seen in Europe or the US," Mr Young said. "When people talk about the recycling water that is overseas, there is a deliberate system built for drinking or non-drinking purposes."

"This is where a lot of people get confused. There is a distinction between planned and unplanned recycled water."

The unlabelled water used in the test came from Sydney Water's North Richmond filtration plant on the Hawkesbury-Nepean river – the same water Debnam drank to launch his $955 million water recycling plan.

A Sydney Water spokesman confirmed the plant produced drinking water from run-off, not recycled water.

Its water is mostly compiled from agricultural run off. Only 2 per cent of water in the river has been released from the Penrith wastewater treatment plant before reaching the filtration plant.

Premier Morris Iemma said Mr Debnam's taste test stunt was nothing more than fraud.

"What he is passing off as recycled water is clearly not the water he intends to force on the people of Western Sydney," Mr Iemma said.

"What he is handing out is drinking water, produced from a river."

"His plan involves using 100 per cent wastewater, not the water he was passing around."

See - Water stunt recycles on Debnam.

Water Futures revival ...

... what the fuss is about.

This is an excerpt from the resolution passed at the Committee meeting of the Toowoomba City Council on 6 and 7 February 2007:

4. That the State Government be advised that:

(a) given the Government's decision to inject Purified Recycled Water into Wivenhoe Dam by 2008, via the Western Corridor Recycling Scheme,

(b) potential exists for a similar Purified Recycling Scheme to stand alone in Toowoomba (which could produce in excess of half the projected demand to be accessed from Wivenhoe at much lower capital and recurrent costs per megalitre providing sufficient to meet growth until 2025-2030),

Council seeks to continue dialogue with both the State and Commonwealth Governments regarding the quantum and timing of a connection to the SEQ Grid and the potential for a stand alone Purified Water Recycling Scheme in Toowoomba.

5. That the State Government request the Toowoomba Water Supply Task Force to examine the potential for a stand-alone Purified Water Recycling Scheme in Toowoomba as a matter of urgency taking into consideration:

- ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System
- AS/NZ 4360:2004 Risk Management.

6. That Her Worship the Mayor, the Chief Executive Officer and the Director of Engineering Services be authorised to continue dialogue as reference in Recommendation 4 above, with both the State and Commonwealth Governments.

See - Council Committee Meeting minutes - 6 and 7 February 2007 - Page 138.

Do you really want to open up that can of worms? Really ...

Singapore recycled water: MP finds recycled water plan hard to swallow ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

MP finds recycled water plan hard to swallow

21 February 2007

A Gold Coast MP says he will not be drinking the recycled water the Premier's given all south-east Queensland parliamentarians.

John Paul Langbroek is one of 60 MPs who have been provided with information kits and samples of purified recycled water.

He says he will make the information and water available to constituents who request them, but he will not swallow the water or the Premier's plans for south-east Queensland's drinking supplies.

"When I got back to my office and saw these five bottles and thought to myself, oh well I will give those a whack, I suddenly thought to myself ... I don't think I want to drink those until I have absolutely no choice and I won't be trying it for the moment because I have no need to," he said.

See - Taste tests of Singapore recycled water are a waste of time.

SEQ water grid - CH2M Hill involvement ...

For those who thought CH2M Hill didn't have a look-in on the SEQ water grid:

Luggage Point AWT

Construction of the Plant will start in April 2007 and is scheduled for completion in August 2008 prior to the four month proving and commissioning period. The main activities required to construct the AWT Plant, many of which will be done in parallel using multiple work fronts, involve:

- constructing the pad foundation
- ongoing piling of the site
- constructing the AWT Plant buildings and tanks
- installing the membrane and reverse osmosis units and pumps
- laying pipelines and services trenches
- constructing roads and drains throughout the site
- installing all electrical equipment and control mechanisms
- landscaping the site grounds

Construction contractors

The construction contractors working on the site at the Luggage Point AWT Plant are CH2M Hill, Laing O’Rourke, Hatch and Connell Wagner on behalf of the WCRW Project and the Coordinator-General.

See - SEQ - WCRW Project - Luggage Point AWT.

PM Howard's Murray-Darling 10 point plan ...

The points:

1. Line and pipe major water delivery channels.

2. Nationwide program to improve on-farm irrigation and metering.

3. 50/50 sharing of water savings between irrigators and government for water security and environmental flows.

4. Address over-allocation in the Murray-Darling Basin.

5. New set of governance arrangements (states to give management rights to Commonwealth).

6. Sustainable cap on surface and groundwater use.

7. Major engineering works at key basin sites.

8. Expand role of Bureau of Meteorology to provide data for decision making.

9. Taskforce to explore future land and water development in northern Australia.

10. Completion of restoration of the Great Artesian Basin.

Chinchilla council keen for water scheme funds ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Chinchilla council keen for water scheme funds

20 February 2007

Chinchilla Shire Council says it cannot wait much longer for the Federal Government to approve funding for a project that would turn a by-product from mining into drinking water.

The council says it was told by the Federal Government in November a decision on its plan to turn coal seam gas water into town water under the national water initiative was imminent.

Mayor Bill McCutcheon says the town's water supply has dropped from 90 per cent in June when it lodged the application to 20 per cent.

Councillor McCutcheon says it is reviving plans to sink a bore on the south of the river.

"We're having preliminary discussions now with the Department of Natural Resources and Water on accessing an emergency bore which is a totally different project, of course, which would allow the town to have emergency water supplies, we've been down this track three times before and fortunately we have had rain which has saved us every time," he said.

See - Gas water to supply Chinchilla.

It is extraordinary that the Federal government is dragging its heels on this project given its support for a similar project in Dalby ...

Rain boosts Mundubbera water supply ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Rain boosts Mundubbera water supply

20 February 2007

The central Burnett town of Mundubbera has gone from having just 4 per cent capacity in its local weir to it overflowing.

Good falls last week have returned the Jones Weir to 100 per cent capacity.

SunWater will meet Mundubbera City Council today and irrigators next week to discuss the change in circumstance for the town.

SunWater's Danny Green says the situation will be cautiously managed.

See - ABC News - Rain boost.

Cairns - recycled water for non-potable use ...

Excerpt from Cairns Newspapers:

Cairns Water is preparing a Strategic Plan for Recycled Water use in the Cairns area and is keen to hear from potential customers who would like to use recycled water for non-drinking purposes.

The upgrade of the four major wastewater treatment plants in Cairns under the Cleaner Seas Program will mean that in 2009 high quality recycled water will be available for potential non-drinking water uses such as: Irrigation of parks, gardens and sporting fields, irrigation of agricultural and horticultural crops, commercial or industrial uses, construction uses such as dust suppression, residential uses such as dual reticulation in new subdivisions.

See - Cairns - recycled water for non-potable use.

See also - Cairns Water.

Water … a failure by successive governments ...

See - Online Opinion - Water failure.

SEQ recycled water - 24/6 panic ...

State government orders 24 hrs a day 6 days per week work schedule in desperate attempt to finish project on time.

See - 24/6 panic.

Another analysis of the Toowoomba poll ...

This time from the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Annual Conference 6-8 December 2006.

See - Transitional fears.

Even the blogs rate a mention ...

Recycled water - let Mr Debnam know your views ...

See - Debnam listens to the community on recycled water.

Minister talks a load of ... sewerage ...

One of Iemma's Ministers comes off second best on talk back radio.

See - SMH - Minister talks a load of ... sewerage.

Qld vs. NSW politics - a recycled stalemate ...

The Qld Coalition can't try to belt the Qld Labor government over NSW Labor's decision not to force people in Sydney to drink recycled sewage because Beattie would reply that the NSW Libs are happy to introduce recycled water for drinking.

The Qld Labor government can't try to belt the Qld Coalition over the NSW Lib's decision to introduce recycled water for drinking because the Coalition would reply that NSW Labor won't force people in Sydney to drink recycled water.

Politics ...

PM Howard's Murray-Darling plans goes off the rails ...

NSW still on board. Victoria has its own plan and Qld wants to use the money in Qld to revive the Bradfield Scheme.

See - Iemma sticks by water plan.

Premier Beattie finds a use for Thorley's NEWater supply ...

The bright sparks at the QWC have recycled the Toowoomba City Council's failed concept - creating the "purified recycled water information and tasting kit".

See - Gold Coast Bulletin - NEWater samples given to MPs.

Recycled water - charge high prices ...

... or people will think something is wrong with it.

That seems to be the view of the Australian Water Association.

See - Adelaide Now - Pay more for recycled effluent.

See also - Age - Push on for higher pricing of water.

Politics pollutes the water debate ...

Good summary of the NSW Labor and Libs election positioning.

See - Australian - Politics pollutes the water debate.

NSW Labor - watch THAT ad ...

You can also watch it here. - www.debnamrecord.com

One of the suggested campaign slogans for the NSW Libs:

'Debnam: "Up shit creek without a paddle, so we may as well drink it".'

See - SMH - Campaign slogans.

NSW Libs: Debnam backflip on recycled water ...

Excerpt from SMH:

Mr Debnam admitted his own views had changed in recent weeks, after comments came to light in which he said he was "absolutely" opposed to drinking treated sewage.

"In terms of feeding back into drinking water, no, it's not desirable," Mr Debnam told The Weather Channel in an interview in November 2005 that was broadcast last night on Channel Ten. "It's unacceptable to the people of NSW, and we won't be pursuing it."

Mr Debnam said yesterday he had changed his mind because of dwindling supplies and a change in public attitudes. "The community mood has shifted," he said. "It has been going on for some time."

But the Premier, Morris Iemma, accused Mr Debnam of a "flip flop". "A sprinkle of rain and an opinion poll and he has changed his mind again," he said.

See - SMH - Iemma cries foul as Debnam drinks words.

Back in 2005, Debnam wasn't courting Green preferences. Perhaps he should take the electorate's temperature again ...

Toowoomba City Council City Report ...

... spot the omission.

Toowoomba ratepayers recently received the Toowoomba City Council City Report 2005/2006.
The section on Water is most interesting because of its omission:

"The Water Futures - Toowoomba project, which included a proposal to introduce recycled water to the city's drinking water supply, had a big impact on Council. As requested by the Federal Government, the project was put to a poll on July 29. Concurrently, Council continued to seek alternative water supplies and vigorously pursue water saving initiatives, commissioning new bores (10 basalt aquifers, one Great Artesian Basin) and installing systems at the Milne Bay Aquatic Centre with potential water savings of two megalitres of water a year."

And the result of the 29 July poll was ???

The Council's inability to admit that Mayor Thorley's ill-conceived plan was defeated is amazing ...

NSW Labor's recycled water plans ...

A network of pipes or a pipe dream?

See - SMH - Water from gas pipes, in 30 years.

Premier Iemma refuses to tap into recycled water ..

Excerpt from SMH:

Iemma refuses to tap into recycled water

19 February 2007

NSW Premier Morris Iemma today stepped up his attack against the Opposition's water recycling plans even though opinion polls show a big majority of Sydneysiders are willing to drink water reclaimed from treated sewage.

Speaking on ABC Radio Mr Iemma said Labor's plan of reserving recycled water for industrial purposes only was the right way to go and he would not set up a water policy based on "the yo-yos of opinion polls".

Asked why it would be wrong for recycled water to be pumped into homes, Mr Iemma said: "I believe that we don't need to and there is a better way."

Under Labor's policy, recycling along with desalination and other solutions would be used to ensure water supplies.

Mr Iemma described Opposition Leader Peter Debnam's water policy as a "half-baked" and "risky" proposition.

An smh.com.au online poll over the weekend showed that, of 12,802 respondents, 72 per cent were in favour of Mr Debnam's policy compared with 28 per cent backing Mr Iemma's plan.

Mr Iemma also stood by the party's campaign slogan: "More to do but we're heading in the right direction".

See - Iemma knows the real polls.

What the article doesn't say (and what Premier Iemma knows) is that the SMH poll (with a surprisingly high number of respondents) was not restricted to NSW voters or even NSW residents. It was an online poll which are notorious for manipulation by one side or the other.

Why NSW Libs want Sydney to drink recycled water ...

... or recycled sewage, as Premier Iemma calls it.

Excerpt from the SMH:

Debnam punt has a bit of a stink

by Miranda Devine

18 February 2007

It is very brave, as Sir Humphrey might say, of NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam to turn the March election into a referendum on whether people will drink recycled water. Or "recycled sewage", as Premier Morris Iemma so delicately puts it.

Why, when the Labor Government is so vulnerable on so many issues, would Debnam risk everything on such a perilous point? And if he is being so bold and open-minded on water, why has he refused even to consider a new dam?

Regardless of the glowingly positive Herald-ACNielsen poll recently, and despite advances in filtration technology, there are still serious concerns about the wisdom of drinking treated effluent.

At the very least it is an issue wide open for the sort of pre-election scare campaign Iemma has already begun, inviting TV cameras to a press conference on Friday next to the icky brown sludge of an untreated sewage tank at the Penrith treatment plant.

That Herald-ACNielsen poll found 80 per cent of people in NSW would support the introduction of recycled water - in theory. The 1142 respondents were told "treated sewage and other waste water" would be "safe for drinking and other household purposes" and asked whether they would support or oppose recycled water to supplement Australia's supplies.

But a more straightforward question, including the word "toilet", in a poll by UMR Research for the NSW Government two years ago, gleaned the opposite response.

Asked how they felt about "drinking recycled sewage, including toilet water, that is treated to drinking water quality", 68 per cent of 600 people polled said they were uncomfortable.

And in a savagely fought referendum last year in Toowoomba (dubbed "Poowoomba") on whether to add 25 per cent recycled sewage to the dam, the vote was 62 per cent against.

We all want to do the right thing to conserve water, but the question is not whether recycled water is safe to drink. The question is whether we trust our government to effectively manage the water infrastructure into the future to ensure our drinking water will never be contaminated.

NSW governments have given us little reason for trust, judging by the crumbling infrastructure and water pipes bursting with sickening regularity.

Still seared into the memory of Sydneysiders are the weeks in 1998 when dangerously high levels of giardia and cryptosporidium parasites were found in the water system, leading to accusations of a cover-up by Sydney Water. An inquiry found there were problems with lab testing and operation of the treatment plants. Why wouldn't such errors be repeated?

Debnam talks of Singapore, but it is not a fair comparison. With plenty of rain but not enough land for dams, Singapore is forced to import most water from Malaysia. For self-reliance, it has added just 1 per cent of its Orwellian-sounding NEWater to reservoirs, rising to 3.5 per cent in five years - far less than the 10 per cent Debnam proposes to pump into Prospect Reservoir.
But we wouldn't have to copy Singapore if we built another dam.

Debnam says he was moved to announce his recycling plan after the latest downpour that dumped about 350 billion litres of rain on the Sydney basin in 30 hours - about nine months' supply. The rain, which also raised dam levels by more than 3 per cent, demonstrated the wisdom of having storage facilities to catch the water when it falls.

Debnam is sucking up to greenies like Jeff Angel from the Total Environment Centre, who hate dams and desalination and love recycling for ascetic reasons.

Not so brave after all.

See - Debnam punt has a bit of a stink.

Beattie plan to redirect Nth Qld rivers inland ...

The Bradfield Scheme revived as Premier Beattie tries to scuttle PM Howard's Murray-Darling plans.

See - Courier Mail - Redirect rivers inland.

Sydney Water: Dr Leslie is not quite correct ...

Excerpt from IBN News:

Sydney Water denies recycled water claims

17 February 2007

Sydney Water says claims by a wastewater expert that North Richmond residents are already drinking recycled water are misleading.

Greg Leslie from the University of New South Wales told a public meeting in Goulburn almost three weeks ago that between 10 and 30 percent of the town's supply came from tertiary-treated wastewater.

But a spokesman for Sydney Water, Brendan Elliott, told IBN News that the claims by Mr Leslie are "not quite right".

He confirmed water for the northwestern suburb was drawn from the Nepean River, but denied recycled water was present in the amounts quoted by Mr Leslie.

"There is tertiary-treated effluent in the Nepean River, but there is significant dilution of the water," he said.

"In any given year, discharges from Sydney water’s inland sewage treatment plants equal two percent of flow. In dry periods that figure may rise, and in wet periods that is in the lower range because there’s plenty of other water around."

Mr Elliott said the water at North Richmond was entirely safe to drink for the town's 50,000-odd residents.

"The water treatment plant (in North Richmond) uses the same water filtration techniques as at other plants, plus carbon filtration as an additional safeguard," he said.

"North Richmond meets the drinking water safety guidelines for Australia."

The recycled water issue has come to a head this week, with the release of the New South Wales' opposition's water plan, and categoric statements from the government that they oppose the introduction of recyled water for drinking purposes.

Sydney Water says they back the government's position.

See - Sydney Water - recycled water facts disputed.

Brisbane unveils multi-million dollar waste water plant upgrade ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Brisbane unveils multi-million dollar waste water plant upgrade

17 February 2007

Brisbane's Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has launched a $116 million upgrade of the city's Oxley waste water treatment plant, to provide recycled water to local industry.

The treatment plant will also be the first in Queensland to process biosolids and convert them into high-quality fertiliser.

Councillor Newman says the recycled water will be used by Tarong and Swanbank power stations, which will take significant pressure off drinking water supplies.

"It will remove significant quantities of nutrients from going into Oxley Creek and the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay," he said.

"It will also provide 65 million litres a day of recycled waste water so that will take the pressure ultimately off our drinking water supplies."

He say the upgrade will reduce the amount of landfill and generate water for the western corridor recycling scheme.

See - ABC News- Newman needs to get update from Beattie.

Someone should tell Brisbane's Mayor that Premier Beattie plans to use this recycled water for drinking ...

Premier Beattie to thumb nose at Traveston inquiry ...

See - Sunshine Coast Daily - Beattie says no.

NSW election turns into recycled water referendum ...

In the aftermath of the 2006 Toowoomba referendum on recycled water, politicians from all sides declared that a scare campaign had been conducted by No campaigners (conveniently omitting the scare tactics used by Mayor Thorley and the Yes campaign team - 'there are no other options, the water will run out by Christmas, the gas water will kill you, etc.').

One wonders what they think of Premier Iemma's comments:

Excerpt from SMH:

The Coalition has declared the state election will be a referendum on the future of Sydney's water supply - and Labor has shot back by saying a Coalition government would put the city's drinking water at risk.

Within hours of Peter Debnam announcing his $955 million plan to recycle effluent yesterday, Labor revealed it would launch an advertisement next week saying the Liberal leader "will force us to drink recycled sewage".
...

At his launch Mr Debnam had predicted a "vicious scare campaign" from Labor over the five-week campaign for the election on March 24.
...

Standing in front of the primary treatment tanks full of brown untreated sewage at the Penrith works, [Iemma] said he would not force people to drink effluent.
...

"Mr Debnam wants to force the residents of western Sydney to drink sewage," Mr Iemma said.
...

Labor's advertisement, to run on morning television from Tuesday to Friday, accuses Mr Debnam of a "flip-flop". It says: "Mr Debnam can't make up his mind on water. Now he's against desalination again. His alternative is to do nothing until dams reach 20 per cent. But then he'll force us to drink recycled sewage."


And then there are Opposition Leader Debnam's comments (right out of the Thorley play book - 'it's done all over the world, etc'):

Mr Debnam said recycled water did not taste different.

"I mean, you've all drunk recycled water around the world," he said. "I've drunk recycled water. Nobody notices any difference. It is purified water. It's pure water."

Now it's pure water. Better get some advice on that point, Mr Debnam.

He is correct on one point though:

"Morris Iemma needs to understand that the scare campaign is not only against Peter Debnam and the Coalition, it's against one of his colleagues, Peter Beattie." Mr Beattie, Queensland's Premier, plans to recycle effluent.

See - SMH - the politics of recycled water.

So you have one State Labor Premier (Beattie) saying recycled water is nice and safe and another (Iemma) saying there is no way he would force people in Sydney to drink it.

Easy to spot which Premier has an election in a little over a month.

But don't the polls say that 70-80% of the community want to drink recycled water. What's Premier Iemma worried about ...

Coal seam gas water - water in need of a home ...

With 1 million litres of water evaporating a day, it seems a waste to waste it.

Chinchilla and Dalby are moving ahead to use coal seam gas water for their town water supply, with Dalby securing State and Federal government funding to use recycled water for non-drinking purposes.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Precious drops evaporate

17 February 2007

An ocean of water is being left to evaporate only 150km from Wivenhoe Dam as southeast Queensland races towards level 5 water restrictions.

The water, extracted from coal seams by natural gas firms, is considered an industrial byproduct and pumped into shallow dams around Dalby and Chinchilla.

More than a million litres of water every day is evaporating from the five 6m-deep dams, which each hold more water than the 1000 megalitres the entire region uses in a day.

"It's an absolute sin," said Queensland Gas Company managing director Richard Cottee, who has lobbied unsuccessfully to get the state to take the water to ease the region's water crisis.

Coal-seam water is pure enough for cattle to drink, but requires treatment before it meets residential standards.

Treating and delivering the coal seam water to Brisbane would be much cheaper than the billions of dollars being spent on a Gold Coast desalination plant and $800 million pipeline to Brisbane.

Mr Cottee has estimated there is 50 million litres a day or more potentially available if the state built a pipeline.

The idea was studied more than a year ago and considered too costly and problematic.

See - Coal seam gas water - when will government listen?

NSW Libs - vote for us and we'll force you to drink from the toilet ...

NSW opposition leader Mr Debnam misreads the surveys on acceptability of recycled water for drinking in the community. Decides to ask NSW residents to vote for him so he can force them to drink recycled water.

Mr Debnam said water recycling technology had been around for years and was used across the world. Has fallen for the recycled water industry propaganda.

Excerpt from SMH:

Premier Morris Iemma said the government already was expanding water recycling projects, but had no intention of forcing Sydney residents to drink recycled sewage.

"The only difference between what Peter Debnam has announced and what we are already doing is that we won't be forcing people to drink recycled sewage," Mr Iemma said in a statement.

"The Iemma government is recycling for industry, we're recycling for new release homes and we're recycling for environmental flows."

See - Vote for us and we'll make you drink from the toilet.

Politics ...

Vote for me and I'll never make you drink from the toilet ...

Worth revisiting in view of the NSW Libs election campaign strategy.

See - `Excuse me, but there seems to be something in my water'.

Water Futures - Engineering head Flanagan under pressure ...

See - Chronicle - Report tampering claim.

More woes for Premier Beattie ...

... this time relating to ex-Minister Nuttall and a grant to undertake a waste water project in rural Queensland

See - Courier Mail - CMC raids Nuttall homes.

See also - Probe into $6m memo.

And - Suspect plan pitched to Iemma.

Mayor Thorley ensures 61.8% of voters still don't trust her ...

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Water debate recycled, but it's back on agenda

14 February 2007

by Susan Searle

The bitter 6-3 division which stalked the recycled water debate last year returned to the Toowoomba City Council chamber last night amid allegations of inaction, mistrust, secrecy and attacks on staff.

No case supporters councillors Snow Manners, Keith Beer and Graham Barron renewed their opposition to the inclusion of recycled water in Toowoomba's water supply by anyone, including Premier Peter Beattie.

The trio was challenged to proffer solutions to the dwindling water supply.

Cr Manners quoted Mayor Dianne Thorley from a news report, where she assured the community it would not run out of water, citing underground supplies as the answer.

Amid a five-minute broadside of council, he suggested for "two or three million dollars" Wetalla water could be upgraded and be used to water street trees, the racecourse, public gardens and selected playing fields in order to preserve the drinking water.

"The idea of building a factory in Toowoomba to reclaim drinking water from the back end of Wetalla is dead and gone," Cr Manners said.

Sue Englart highlighted the comedy of events which had unfolded since dam levels were 32%, when the controversial Water Futures project was launched on June 30, 2005, to 16.9% yesterday.

"And still there is no water flowing into the dams," she said.

It was the undeniable fact which echoed around the room. Michele Alroe reminded the No case supporters that they had campaigned to have all the future water options put back on the table for an independent review – and last night they opposed that.

She also recalled their preferred solution was the Wivenhoe Dam pipeline, and now that it's a reality, albeit supplying recycled water, they wouldn't accept it either and were concerned about the costs.

Water portfolio chairman Joe Ramia said council, after a "shellacking" in the 62%-38% vote, got the message loud and clear and shelved its recycling plans.

He said it was Mr Beattie who changed the rules, not council. Council agreed to accept Toowoomba Water Supply Task Force's recommendation that a pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam be the long-term water source for the city.

And it was agreed to ask the task force to undertake a cost-benefit analysis on a stand-alone purified recycled water scheme in the city, thereby deferring the need for the pipeline until 2025-2030.

Citizens Against Drinking Sewage co-ordinator Rosemary Morley, one of 30 people in the gallery, was chastised by the mayor twice for remarks which disrupted debate.

See - Mayor Thorley - 13 months out from an election.

Why Water Futures is a dead and buried duck ...

Worth revisiting in view of last night's Council meeting:

See - Why Water Futures is a dead dead duck.

Jandowae swimming in water ...

Excerpt from Toowoomba Digital News (the newly launched online newspaper):

Jandowae receives up to 150mm of rain. Locals describe it as the best rain in 25 years.

Long range weather forecaster Robin Curtis says much of Australia should prepare for some of the biggest floods in 50 to 100 years. He believes 2007 will be a wet year, while 2008 will be a year of floods.

See - Toowoomba Digital News.

Toowoomba's debate on urine ...

One of the more interesting google search terms used by a 4350water blog viewer:

'toowoomba's debate on urine'

No wonder tourism is suffering ...

Landline: Waste Not - Coffs Harbour's experience wth 'second hand water' ...

Read the transcript: Landline - Waste not.

Recycled water - why 78% said Yes ...

Recycled water- the divisions continue ...

It's interesting how the Yes/No divisions continue on the issue of recycled water.

Some may have thought that 6+ months after the Toowoomba poll things may have settled down.

But no.

As a guide, look at the statistics for the 3 surveys which have recently been in the right hand column of 4350water blog:

1. [Was] the 17 March poll a smokescreen for Premier Beattie's problems?

Answers (from 19 Jan) -
Absolutely - 44
Maybe - 2
No- 16
Impressions: 1,955

2. Is the plan for 100% 'Beattie Bitter' too hard to swallow?

Answers (from 25 Jan)-
Too right - 31
Maybe - 0
No - 24
Impressions - 1,515

3. Should Mayor Thorley be allowed to recycle her Water Futures project?

Answers (from 7 Feb) -
No way - 6
Maybe - 0
Yes - 4
Impressions - 172

Scientific results? No. But neither was Premier Beattie's survey when he magically seemed to find 78% in favour of drinking recycled water (just like Mayor Thorley before the Toowoomba poll proved her wrong).

One of the benefits of surveypopups.com is that it allows for only 1 vote per 'person', far better than some of the other online polls floating around during the Toowoomba poll.

Even discounting those who click on an option just to see the survey results, there is some serious multiple voting going on, probably on both sides of the debate.

Just shows how deeply felt this issue remains ...

Council gone bananas ...

An embarrassing circus led by a handful of clowns at ratepayers' expense.

Council operates in a climate of intimidation, fear and bullying.

Threats of physical violence by a councillor.

Tactics adopted by the dominant group have tended to be aimed at silencing or discrediting the opposition.

An administrator appointed to restore stability and public confidence before the next local government elections due next year.

Surprisingly, it's NOT the Toowoomba City Council.

See - Sacked council gone bananas.

Politics Beattie style ...

Interesting comments on the cancellation of the SEQ poll.

Excerpt from the Gold Coast Bulletin:

Harsh world, politics

31 January 2007

Good News!

The Beattie Government has begun preparing for celebrations to mark Queensland's 150th birthday in 2009, thereby quashing all criticism that it never plans for the future.

If only they had started preparing for the state running out of water two years early.

Of course you all know by now that there will be no referendum on recycled sewage because the Premier did his own telephone survey and found 78 per cent of respondents were happy to drink toilet water.

Which is a nifty little twist on democracy.

Perhaps the Premier could do his own little ring-around before the next election is due to see if we really need one of those as well.

Most people have applauded him for taking a stand by doing away with the referendum and saving $10 million of taxpayer's money. I just think it is funny he ever called for one.

To be blunt, I think it was all a big hoax so they could pretend they were doing something.

Mr Beattie was actually asked on Friday if the plebescite was definitely going ahead and he stumbled a little, giggled and said: "I have indicated that obviously we have to take into account the will of the people."

Yes, very tricky because he actually did know at that point he was going to pull the plug.

But it was much more convenient for him to leak the news on Saturday so it could be in a Sunday newspaper.

"I was very careful about answering on Friday which is why I stopped midstream," he said when asked why he did not answer the question correctly.

Mr Beattie will use the $10 million to extend the rebate on water tanks, which is rather convenient as he has just ordered one for his own house and has to wait a couple of months for it.

See - Harsh world, politics.

Why Water Futures is a dead dead duck ...

Reposted following the shenanigans at the Council's committee meeting yesterday.

Why Water Futures is a dead duck ...

Just when you thought you had seen it all in the world of Toowoomba local government politics, there's one more surprise.

Mayor Thorley has decided to override the vote of 62% of Toowoomba's voters to try to force her ill-conceived and ill-fated recycled water plant back on Toowoomba.

Not to mention forcing it back onto neighbouring shires which take water from Toowoomba.

Forget that the project would most likely have bankrupted the city.

Forget that the State government says it's dead as a dodo.

This is Thorley world - where reality and her perspective on it seldom meet.

We all know that she still controls the Council chamber and can pass any resolution she wants.

But imagine the public outcry if she decides to pass a resolution to try to revive the recycled water project.

Now she has $22 million in the budget for Water Futures related spending. But, with State government funding off the table and Federal funding unlikely in the wake of the July 2006 referendum, it looks like Mayor Thorley will have to look elsewhere for funding - perhaps CH2M Hill would like to pony up the difference.

And what a difference it will be.

Mayor Thorley's main claim on why Water Futures should proceed is that it is the cheapest option.

But is it (and was it ever the cheapest)?

In the Council's NWC funding application, the cost was ball parked at $68 million (assuming no evaporation ponds were required).

No-one has ever confirmed these numbers.

In the Parsons Brinkerhoff review of several water source options, they ASSUMED the Council's numbers were accurate and just added 10% on top.

So no-one has ever independently verified the cost of the recycled water plant proposal.

Mayor Thorley says $68 million (or $73 million with 10% loaded on top).

What might others say?

Let's see:

Assuming the numbers ARE accurate (big assumption!) and no evaporation ponds are required (also big assumption!), figure cost increases of around 20% per annum since the Water Futures numbers were ballparked.

(In the current construction and commodities boom, this is not unrealistic. Premier Beattie admitted to the Federal government in his recent request for $400 million for his recycled water project that he had NO idea what it would end up costing).

So that's just under $98 million (20% p.a. compounded).

Doesn't look so cheap anymore. And costs continue to increase (as Premier Beattie is finding out).

But wait, there's more.

We've assumed that the $68 million cost estimate was accurate. Most likely it was not. Mayor Thorley and Mr Flanagan were at pains to ensure that these costs were never independently verified. Why? What were they hiding?

And then there's the RO waste stream. Acland Coal may want something but have never committed to taking the RO waste stream. Any consultant preparing cost estimates would never assume they would. The evaporation pond cost was estimated at $70 million. Apply the 20% per annum cost increase and that comes to just over $100 million.

So Mayor Thorley's project has gone from being a $68 million pipe dream to a $198 million nightmare.

But wait, there's more.

Where will the money come from?

An amount of $22 million has been reserved in the Council budget for Water Futures related projects. So let's assume she gets her hands on that amount.

That leaves $76 million (without evaporation ponds) and $176 million (with evaporation ponds) to be found somewhere.

Now Toowoomba City Council has around $50 million in debt on its balance sheet (2005 figures). So that would mean more than doubling the city's debt to $126 million (without evaporation ponds) and more than quadrupling the debt to $226 million (with evaporation ponds).

Where will the funds come from?

Normally the Council borrows its funds from the Qld Investment Corp (QIC) at reasonable interest rates.

But if the State government says NO to Mayor Thorley reviving her recycled water project, it seems unlikely that QIC will provide funding.

It also seems unlikely that the Federal government will provide funding given the July 2006 poll result and the failure to comply with the other conditions set out in its conditional funding approval.

So that means outside funding (beginning to sound like the Khemlani Federal Labor loans affair of the 1970s isn't it?).

Meanwhile the clock is ticking on the next Council election, 62% of Toowoomba voters disagree with her and the irrigators who will lose their water under her scheme become madder than all heck.

And just how silly is Mayor Thorley going to look when her Water Futures project is properly costed and found to be far more expensive than she claims?

Get the picture? Do you think Mayor Thorley ever will ...

Uproar in State parliament over recycled water plan ...

Fun and games down in State parliament again yesterday.

See - Hansard - 7 February 2007.

Premier Beattie and Anna Bligh trying to justify forcing SEQ residents to drink recycled water.

The Premier seems to think London is his best example. Not really a good choice.

He thinks 95% recycled water is ok.

Apparently anyone with an opposing view is 'scaremongering'.

And Berlin becomes one of his shiny new examples of 'it's done all over the world'. First time that city has been raised in the debate.

And this from the Premier who said last year that Toowoomba's proposal was 'an experiment' and personally he 'wouldn't drink recycled water'.

But then again 6 months is a lifetime in politics ...

Federal Senate inquiry into SEQ water options ...

This may get interesting.

See - Courier Mail - Senate probe.

Beattie government survey on water price hikes ...

See - Courier Mail - Firm tests the water on price hike.

Softening up the consumers ...

Iemma - desal cheaper than recycling ...

Premier Iemma goes out on perhaps a bit of a limb to declare his desalination plant plans far cheaper than recycled water.

See - the Age - desal cheaper.

MP calls for 'recycled water' food labels ...

Anything wrong with "source of origin" labels?

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

MP calls for 'recycled water' food labels

7 February 2007

A senior Queensland MP has called for all food and drink products made with recycled water to be labelled as such.
...

Former Queensland opposition leader Lawrence Springborg said families had a right to know what they were eating and drinking and new labels should be introduced.

"It is a matter for individuals, whether they are happy to have treated effluent placed in their water supply and I respect that", Mr Springborg said.

"For the sake of choice, Queenslanders should be told whether or not the foods they are consuming contain treated sewage effluent."

Mr Springborg said the situation was similar to that of the introduction of genetically modified organisms into food.

He said authorities cleared GMOs as being perfectly safe to eat but still enforced labelling laws to give consumers a right to know and choose whether to eat them.

See - Time to label recycled water.

Also picked up by the Sydney Morning Herald - Recycled water labelling.

Also read the comments in State parliament yesterday - Hansard - 6 February 2007 - page 73-75.

Does Brisbane really need to drink recycled water ...

Sweep aside the political rhetoric for a moment.

Premier Beattie says SEQ is running out of water and the Anna Bligh says it won't.

Ignore statements like "you either drink or you die".

And consider how much water Brisbane requires and what non-recycled water supplies are available, particularly with the desalination plant online and the power stations using recycled water.

Is it enough?

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Underground water finds

7 February 2007

Brisbane will be able to source about 6 per cent of its water supplies from underground aquifers by the end of the year after council drilling found water stashed across the city.

Water from the aquifers will be added to the city's supplies by July as 30 production bores identified by council officers begin to come online.

The aquifers will be capable of supplementing Brisbane's dwindling water supply with 20 million litres of water a day by December.

At the same time, an independent report has found council's pressure management and leakage works are saving two billion litres of water a year.

Labor water chairman John Campbell said the bores would help extend the city's supply, with dam supplies now at a record low of 22 per cent.

"Brisbane Water's aquifer experts have established borefields that are now being linked by a network of pipes to localised plants, where the groundwater will be treated to a drinking standard, and then mixed with the existing drinking water supply," he said. "Aquifer water will certainly go a long way in prolonging the amount of water available for the city's residents."

See - How much water does Brisbane really have?

Anna gets it wrong again - this time in Parliament (updated) ...

The Deputy Premier's comments - "recycled water gives us a new source of water that is not dependent on rain".

See - Hansard - 6 February 2007.

But if it doesn't rain, where will the water come from to recycle (unless you build a much bigger desalination plant)?

Without rain, 80% of nothing is still nothing.

Seems Professor Cullen agrees.

Excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald:

7 February 2007

However, the chairman of the Government's independent water assessment panel, Peter Cullen, described the desalination plant as prudent. "If this dry spell continues then desalination means there will always be an alternative source of water," he said.

Asked if Sydney could have avoided desalination if it had moved on recycling earlier, Professor Cullen said: "Maybe. But the beauty of desalination is that it is independent of rainfall, unlike even recycling."

See - Anna gets it wrong.

Does anyone in the Beattie government have a clue about recycled water ...

Beattie builds yet another authority ...

... this one to oversee the water grid.

See - Courier Mail - Authority to run $7b grid.

Wasn't this the role of the QWC ...

Rose trial update ...

See - Rose trial update.

Frustrated Flanagan to carry buckets of recycled water up the range ...

Unable to accept the fact that 61.8% of Toowoomba voters do not believe anything they say after the Water Futures debacle, Mayor Thorley and Mr Flanagan continue to stumble and bumble along.

The Interim Report of the Toowoomba Water Task Force will be discussed at this week's Council committee meetings.

See - Council committee meetings agenda - 6 and 7 February 2007 - page 127.

This report refers to the Wivenhoe link costing an estimated $95 million. But let's not discuss that, let's refer back to Premier Beattie's comments last year where he talked about spending maybe $100-200 million on the connection.

Having admitted to the Toowoomba community that the city will not run out of water (18 months of scare tactics just didn't work), there's an attempt to scare the community just one more time.

The agenda refers to it being "highly likely that from the end of 2008 Toowoomba could be receiving a component of Brisbane's purified recycled water through this proposed pipeline".

That's the pipeline that hasn't been built yet and most likely will not be built until after the Traveston Dam is completed in 2011 or so.

As usual, the despondent duo don't let the truth get in the way of their agenda, stating that their failed project could provide a bit over half the water that might be sourced from Brisbane (let's ignore that you can't get 6,500 ML of recycled water from 5,000 ML of sewage) and seeking approval to continue discussions with Beattie & Co.

Perhaps Mayor Thorley will have Mr Flanagan carry buckets of recycled water up the range at the end of next year just to prove that Toowoomba might drink recycled water at the end of 2008.

But that would be after the next Council election when there's sure to be a retirement or two down at City Hall ...

Bligh and Turnbull - no funding for a recycled water project in Toowoomba ...

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Plan cause for concern

2 February 2007

Snow Manners says the planned pipeline to Wivenhoe is a sound long-term strategy, but is probably not Toowoomba's best solution.

The proposed pipeline, he says, has caused some concern because of Premier Peter Beattie's plan to put the recycled water into Wivenhoe Dam.

"We will drink recycled water if, after 2012, our dams run out of water - in which case Wivenhoe also would be out of water - and there is the Wivenhoe pipeline, if we choose to use it."

"It's a decision for a future council and it's that far out it doesn't matter."

"In the meantime, the report clearly indicates Toowoomba has a drought management plan and can survive on groundwater long after the dams run dry."

The chairman of council's Strategy and Governance committee says council will accept and discuss the report on Wednesday.

He says the report falls short on "triple bottom line assessment" which optimises economic, social and environmental values of the project.

"I'm satisfied Anna Bligh made the right decision, and Malcolm Turnbull has made the right decision - each of which has said there will be no funding for a recycled water project for Toowoomba - the community has said no to a recycled water project.

"I'm totally happy and comfortable with that position; what a future council does is up to a future council," he said.

Cr Manners says he still believes a deal with the farmers in the Condamine alluvium is the best regional option because "it is the west of us and it removes us from the Wivenhoe Dam catchment".

Iemma promises desal plant ...

See - SMH - Iemma promises desal plant.

SMH criticises cheap rhetoric: gets confused ...

The Sydney Morning Herald dips its toes into the recycled water debate today criticising the Iemma government (among others) for ignoring the 'facts' of recycled water.

And then shoots itself in the foot by getting the facts wrong:

"But Singapore now "shandies" 10 per cent recycled effluent direct to its dam in its quest for water self sufficiency."

See - SMH - Singapore is 1% not 10%.

Anyone in this debate for more than 5 minutes knows that Singapore puts a token 1% recycled water into its reservoirs - with 99% used for batching concrete, air-conditioning units and the computer chip industry.

It's not the amount which is important. And it's not the fact that they ignored Singapore having the largest desalination plant in Asia. And it's not that they try to dress up the London '7 sets of kidneys' myth as a fact. It's just hard to take journalists seriously when they slam governments for decision making but can't get their facts right ...

Water Futures Yes campaign cost us $434,646.03 ...

Final numbers are in.

The Water Futures Yes campaign cost Toowoomba ratepayers $434,646.03.

This amount includes $28,848.04 of Mr Flanagan's salary which was costed to Water Futures during his secondment to assist the ill-fated campaign.

This amount also includes 100% of the salary costs for the campaign period for Alan Kleinschmidt and Barry Crook which indicates they worked on nothing else during the Yes campaign.

Mr Flanagan's costs represent 80% of his salary during the Yes campaign - indicating he spent 80% of his time on the Yes campaign.

See- Council committee meetings - 16 and 17 January 2007 - Item 25 - page 141.

This amount relates just to the failed Yes campaign and excludes expenditure of ratepayers' funds on the Water Futures project before the referendum was announced.

All up about around $1 million was wasted on Thorley's grand vision ...

Scientist - trade water on eBay ...

See- news.com.au - trade water on eBay.

Mayor Thorley's ultimate backdown ..

It took over 18 months but finally Mayor Thorley and engineering head Mr Flanagan have admitted what many knew all along:

Toowoomba will not run out of water.

From WIN News

2 February 2007

Mayor Thorley: But the facts are that number one we'll make sure the community doesn't run out of water. Number two I don't think the Premier of this State nor the Prime Minister would allow a population of 135,000 people to run out of water.

Mayor Thorley: The reality is the bores are coming online. The reality is that if we have to get the extra two and a half thousand megs we'll be able to go out on to the bore fields just west of here and we'll be able to sink it down into the GAB and provide water for this community.

Kevin Flanagan: With the additional bores that we are putting in, both the Toowoomba basalt and the Great Artesian basin - some of those bores going in through early February to the middle of the year, that will supply us with about 75% of our minimum demand.

But wait.

What happened to the Council's claims that the water would run out and you needed to drink recycled water or die of thirst?

What about there being no other options?

Thorley and Flanagan PR spin, nothing more.

Part of the 'do anything say anything' campaign to force you to drink recycled water - a campaign remarkably similar to the emerging claims in Brisbane ...

Water Futures debacle ...

... leads to a restructuring of the Council's engineering department.

At the Toowoomba City Council's committee meetings on 16 and 17 January 2007, the CEO and Mr Flanagan gave an overview of the partial restructure of the Council's engineering services department following a number of recent key resignations.

See - Council committee meeting minutes - 16 and 17 January 2007 - Item 40 - page 175

Council's Water Futures PR guy heads to the QWC ...

The minutes of the Council's committee meetings on 16 and 17 January 2007 note that Mr Barry Crook, the Council's Manager Marketing and Communications has resigned from the Council to take up a position with the Qld Water Commission.

See - Council committee meeting minutes - 16 and 17 January 2007 - Item 31.2 - page 157

With the failed Water Futures Yes campaign marked by some rather inept marketing attempts and a total lack of communication with Toowoomba residents, good luck QWC and good luck SEQ residents ...

SEQ - highest mix of recycled water in the world ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Recycled mix may be 50:50

3 February 2007

UQ professor Greenfield isn't aware of a higher level

Southeast Queensland could have the highest percentage of recycled water in its drinking supply of any place in the world if the drought continues.

If Brisbane's dams are almost empty when the recycled water pipeline comes on line late next year, all that would be left in the dam would be a 50-50 mix of desalinated and recycled water.

The chairman of the Water Commission's recycled water advisory panel, University of Queensland professor Paul Greenfield, said he wasn't aware of a higher recycled water concentration anywhere.

See - Highest levels of recycled water in the world.

The ill-fated Water Futures project in Toowoomba proposed 25-29% recycled water, a mix regarded as 'high by international standards and which would require detailed review and further studies'. Mayor Thorley reluctantly agreed to 3-5 years testing of the recycled water before it was used for drinking.

And here we have Premier Beattie wanting to put the highest mix of recycled water in the world through SEQ's household taps - with no testing period.

Amazing ...

Veolia Water makes the 'shame file' ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Pipeline company 'shamed'

3 February 2007

A giant French company involved in two of southeast Queensland's biggest water projects has a history of corruption, environmental degradation and price-gouging.

Paris-based Veolia Water has been awarded lucrative Queensland Government contracts to build and operate the Gold Coast desalination plant and western corridor recycled water pipeline.

But it can be revealed the company has been named on a "shame file" by Washington-based consumer watchdog Public Citizen, founded by activist and former American presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

Veolia has been embroiled in controversy since entering Australia in 1994.

Questions were raised in Federal Parliament about how it was awarded a $1.5 billion contract to manage Adelaide's water supply, which has since been hit with problems including a major sewage stench problem and a giardia outbreak.

Two years ago, the NSW Government ordered an audit investigation into Veolia's background after it bid for a contentious desalination plant earmarked for Sydney. The probe cleared Veolia to proceed with its bid.

See - Courier Mail - named and shamed.

Caloundra council and its recycled water dilemma ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Caloundra council divided over recycled water

2 February 2007

Divisions are emerging within Caloundra City Council on the Sunshine Coast over the recycled water debate.

Caloundra councillor Andrew Champion is arguing that his region should not have to share its fresh dam supplies, nor drink other people's treated waste water.

Cr Danny O'Kearney disagrees.

"This issue is well and above one single councillor or one single council, this is crucial for the whole of south-east Queensland," he said.

"We've got to work with the State Government to make sure we have water supplies that connect right across."

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh says Caloundra cannot keep its dam water to itself.

"It is the intention that the state through the water grid will control water, so we will certainly be happy to talk to the Caloundra council, but we will not be having people opting in and opting out and having a parochial attitude to their own backyard," she said.

"Water belongs to everybody and we will move it around to where south-east Queensland citizens need it."

Meanwhile, Cr Champion says he is working on a new plan to ensure adequate water supplies for south-east Queensland without siphoning fresh water from the Sunshine Coast and building the Traveston Crossing dam.

A motion he put before the council yesterday, to express opposition to the State Government's plans to take dam water from the Sunshine Coast for Brisbane consumption, was deferred for a month.

Cr Champion says he is now developing a new strategy to put to the council and the State Government next month.

He says the Traveston Crossing dam is not the solution.

"Mark my words, the yields when they recalculate what's happening, the 'travesty' dam will not provide water," he said.

See - Recycled water dilemma.

Coal seam gas exploration to expand ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

PNG pipeline suspension may boost Qld gas search

2 February 2007

An energy analyst says the suspension of a gas pipeline between Papua New Guinea and Australia will lead to further exploration of Queensland's coal seam gas areas.

Coal seam gas is extracted from at least 10 gas fields in the Bowen Basin in central Queensland and the Surat Basin in the southern inland.

ABN Amro's Aiden Bradley says coal seam gas will be able to fill the void left by the PNG project.

"Obviously it takes a major source of potential long-term supply from the market - with gas in decline at the rate of about seven to 9 per cent per annum, with gas supplies in the east coast of Australia look like they maybe in a marginal decline position post 2012, and PNG was really the major hope of sort of filling that gap," he said.

See - Coal seam gas expansion.

Where there's coal seam gas, there's coal seam gas water ...

Why Water Futures is a dead duck ...

From WIN News last evening:

Councillors to put forward motion

1 February 2007

In a major announcement tonight, Toowoomba councillors will put forward a motion to reinstate the water recycling project rejected in the Water Futures referendum.

This is despite recommendations from the city's Water Taskforce, that support the State Government pledge for a Wivenhoe pipeline.

See - WIN News - Thorley attempts resurrection of biblical proportions.

Just when you thought you had seen it all in the world of Toowoomba local government politics, there's one more surprise.

Mayor Thorley has decided to override the vote of 62% of Toowoomba's voters to try to force her ill-conceived and ill-fated recycled water plant back on Toowoomba.

Not to mention forcing it back onto neighbouring shires which take water from Toowoomba.

Forget that the project would most likely have bankrupted the city.

Forget that the State government says it's dead as a dodo.

This is Thorley world - where reality and her perspective on it seldom meet.

We all know that she still controls the Council chamber and can pass any resolution she wants.

But imagine the public outcry if she decides to pass a resolution to try to revive the recycled water project.

Now she has $22 million in the budget for Water Futures related spending. But, with State government funding off the table and Federal funding unlikely in the wake of the July 2006 referendum, it looks like Mayor Thorley will have to look elsewhere for funding - perhaps CH2M Hill would like to pony up the difference.

And what a difference it will be.

Mayor Thorley's main claim on why Water Futures should proceed is that it is the cheapest option.

But is it (and was it ever the cheapest)?

In the Council's NWC funding application, the cost was ball parked at $68 million (assuming no evaporation ponds were required).

No-one has ever confirmed these numbers. In the Parsons Brinkerhoff review of several water source options, they ASSUMED the Council's numbers were accurate and just added 10% on top.

So no-one has ever independently verified the cost of the recycled water plant proposal.

Mayor Thorley says $68 million (or $73 million with 10% loaded on top).

What might others say?

Let's see:

Assuming the numbers ARE accurate (big assumption!) and no evaporation ponds are required (also big assumption!), figure cost increases of around 20% per annum since the Water Futures numbers were ballparked.

(In the current construction and commodities boom, this is not unrealistic. Premier Beattie admitted to the Federal government in his recent request for $400 million for his recycled water project that he had NO idea what it would end up costing).

So that's just under $98 million (20% p.a. compounded).

Doesn't look so cheap anymore. And costs continue to increase (as Premier Beattie is finding out).

But wait, there's more.

We've assumed that the $68 million cost estimate was accurate. Most likely it was not. Mayor Thorley and Mr Flanagan were at pains to ensure that these costs were never independently verified. Why? What were they hiding?

And then there's the RO waste stream. Acland Coal may want something but have never committed to taking the RO waste stream. Any consultant preparing cost estimates would never assume they would. The evaporation pond cost was estimated at $70 million. Apply the 20% per annum cost increase and that comes to just over $100 million.

So Mayor Thorley's project has gone from being a $68 million pipe dream to a $198 million nightmare.

But wait, there's more.

Where will the money come from?

An amount of $22 million has been reserved in the Council budget for Water Futures related projects. So let's assume she gets her hands on that amount.

That leaves $76 million (without evaporation ponds) and $176 million (with evaporation ponds) to be found somewhere.

Now Toowoomba City Council has around $50 million in debt on its balance sheet (2005 figures). So that would mean more than doubling the city's debt to $126 million (without evaporation ponds) and more than quadrupling the debt to $226 million (with evaporation ponds).

Where will the funds come from?

Normally the Council borrows its funds from the Qld Investment Corp (QIC) at reasonable interest rates.

But if the State government says NO to Mayor Thorley reviving her recycled water project, it seems unlikely that QIC will provide funding.

It also seems unlikely that the Federal government will provide funding given the July 2006 poll result and the failure to comply with the other conditions set out in its conditional funding approval.

So that means outside funding (beginning to sound like the Khemlani Federal Labor loans affair of the 1970s isn't it?).

Meanwhile the clock is ticking on the next Council election, 62% of Toowoomba voters disagree with her and the irrigators who will lose their water under her scheme become madder than all heck.

And just how silly is Mayor Thorley going to look when her Water Futures project is properly costed and found to be far more expensive than she claims?

Get the picture ...

Premier Rann's quote of the day ...

No love lost between SA Premier Rann and MP Turnbull.

On Channel 2 midday news - 1 February 2007 - "He won't be drinking recycled water, he will be drinking and washing his hair in Perrier in his Piper Point (sic) home."

BHP also not happy about the PM's Murray-Darling plans:

See - BHP alarm of PM's river plan.

Eau de toilet ...

... and other ad images.

View the ad companies' impressions (here) on how to sell recycled water (someone should tell them not to use the term 'sewage' - the recycled water industry doesn't like it) ...

Image - Agency - Fin Design.

More bad news for Thorley's Water Futures revival plans ...

See - Courier Mail - Dry Downs may tap into Wivenhoe.

Also read the Interim Report of the Toowoomba Water Task Force - here.

Recycled water pipeline - only 199.5km to go ...

See - Courier Mail - Progress of pipeline slows.

And, for a bit of humour, Anna tripping around the construction site in her high heels while a man carries around the boots she was supposed to wear:

See - Courier Mail - These boots weren't made for walking.

Premier Beattie - now it's desalinate or die ...

See the Courier Mail - desalinate or die.