Victoria - Crackdown on recycled water after crop damage ...

Excerpt from The Age:

Crackdown on recycled water after crop damage

28 March 2007

Water recycling safeguards in Melbourne will be tightened amid fears that contaminated water has damaged food crops in one of Australia's primary vegetable growing regions.

A six-month investigation by the State Government into the yellowing and stunted growth of vegetable crops in the Werribee irrigation district was yesterday unable to report a definitive cause, but also unable to rule out recycled water from the nearby Werribee Treatment Plant as the source of the problem.

But in a report that Werribee farmers said was a virtual admission that recycled water was to blame, investigators from the Department of Primary Industries noted that recycled water from the treatment plant was "a strong common factor" across the 15 affected properties, and such water had been delivered to farmers in record amounts this summer.

The report also made recommendations to upgrade the monitoring and testing of recycled water at the treatment plant before it reached farmers, and warned that the risk of contaminants entering the recycled water system by illegal dumping warranted a review.

The Werribee district supplies about 70 per cent of all lettuce consumed in Australia, and is a significant producer of other vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

With drought-ravaged Victoria set to become increasingly reliant on recycled water for irrigation, farming and industrial uses, Werribee farmers believe the State Government has been keen to ensure recycled water was not blamed for the crop problems, which surfaced in September and October last year.

Those suspicions were increased yesterday when the report noted that samples of recycled water from immediately before and after the crop damage incident were made available to the investigators, but no water samples were available from the day most in question — September 18, 2006.

The report said the absence of those samples and delays had "severely reduced the effectiveness and ability of the investigation to determine the cause".

Crops planted after the incident in September and October have shown no ill effects.

Melbourne Water, which operates the treatment plant, said tests were carried out in line with official guidelines, either weekly or "continuously".

The failure of the Government report to find an answer is likely to be challenged by local farmers, who are today expected to release findings of tests they had conducted by an independent laboratory.

Werribee land owner Nik Tsardakis, who represents a group of affected farmers, said the Government's report virtually conceded water was the problem, and the Government needed to invest money to secure a safe water supply.

"All of the recommendations deal with water and the lack of effective monitoring by Melbourne Water," he said.

"The Government wants recycled water to be the panacea for a lot of their problems, but this report really casts doubt and exposes a huge risk to other users of recycled water."

Water Minister John Thwaites said authorities would carefully consider the recommendations and implement them as far as practical.

See - Recycled water crackdown.

Oops ...

Federal Labor - recycled water for non-potable reuse ...

Excerpt from the Australian:

28 March 2007

The [Labor] party would be committed to a goal of recycling 30 per cent of Australia's waste water by 2015.

"Labor believes that greater use of recycled water by industry and agriculture will free up valuable drinking water and help increase environmental water flows," the platform says.

See - Federal Labor at odds with Beattie.

Minister Turnbull to Beattie - produce your numbers by Friday ...

Excerpt from the Australian:

Personal health and hygiene at risk from water limits

26 March 2007

The 2.6 million residents of drought-ravaged southeast Queensland have been warned their health and hygiene is at risk from the introduction of tighter water restrictions.

Premier Peter Beattie has also warned of power blackouts as unprecedented level-six restrictions appear set to be introduced in the region within six months.

He foreshadowed a blow-out of the $1.7 billion cost estimate for the state's western corridor recycled water pipeline.

The warnings surfaced as Federal Water Resources Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Beattie had until the end of the week to provide detailed financial information in support of Queensland's application for a $404 million subsidy for the western corridor project.

Mr Turnbull said Queensland had failed to respond to his offer to provide commonwealth consultants to help develop a business plan for the pipeline.

The warnings from the Premier were made in a submission to the Prime Minister in support of Queensland's subsidy application.

The western corridor pipeline is the world's fourth-largest recycled water project and the centrepiece of Queensland's $8 billion plan to drought-proof southeast Queensland.
...

In his January 29 submission to John Howard, a copy of which was given to The Australian, the Premier said restrictions on indoor water use would have impacts on the personal health and hygiene of the 2.6 million residents of southeast Queensland, whose numbers would swell to 3.9 million by 2026.

Without major new infrastructure, the region faced "catastrophic" consequences, including disruption to electricity supplies if water shortages forced power stations to shut down, Mr Beattie said

The Premier indicated the cost of the western corridor pipeline would exceed the $1.7 billion estimate.

The final scope of the project had not been determined, but given the level of activity in the market and the need to build the pipeline as soon as possible, there was a "high likelihood" that costs would rise.

Mr Turnbull said it was clear that Queensland needed to provide a better estimate of the costs of the project.

Ms Bligh said Mr Turnbull was making excuses to avoid funding the pipeline.

"He is denying Queenslanders their rightful share of national funding when we are in the middle of our worst ever drought," she said.

See - Beattie needs to number crunch by Friday.

Flushing away red tape ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Flushing away red tape

27 March 2007

It seems like in ingenious idea - put a sink on top of the toilet cistern, and then all the water you use to wash your hand helps fill the cistern in readiness for the next flush.

The Japanese embraced the integrated hand-basin toilet design years ago, but until now, Brisbane residents have had trouble finding plumbers to help them install the clever toilet.

See - Flushing away red tape.

No dam, and no recycled water ... not ever ...

Excerpt from Sunshine Coast Daily:

No dam, and no recycled water ... not ever

20 March 2007

Sunshine Coast residents are overwhelmingly against the Traveston Dam but two in three would not drink recycled water.

More than 900 residents from across the Coast have had their say on issues affecting our region.

The Your Coast Your Say survey, run by the Sunshine Coast Daily and Seven Local News, revealed that 87% of people opposed the state government's Traveston Dam plan.

Surprisingly, 12% voted in favour of it.
...

"What this says is that we know the people of south-east Queensland are in crisis and require water, but that we should not build a dam because there are other sources of water that should be developed," Mr Ingersole said.

He said harvesting stormwater and implementing rainwater tanks, as well as using recycled water, would remove the need to build a dam.
...

A total of 65% of respondents said Sunshine Coast residents should not be forced to drink recycled water, while only 32% said they would drink it.

See - Recycled water gets the thumbs down.

The Crikey Water Diet ...

Tips on how to save water - see The Crikey Water Diet: Part I.

Premier Beattie announces Qld water centre ... in South Africa...

The Courier Mail today reports that Premier Beattie will open an office of Brisbane's International Water Centre - in Johannesburg - to teach South African students about water management.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Premier Beattie should tend to his problems at home before deciding on any water management world domination strategy.

Some might say that with all the water issues in SEQ and the State Labor government's mishandling of water crisis, it has little to offer to South Africa in terms of water management skills ...

Debnam's recycled water pledge fails the voter test ...

The reasons for Debnam's political failure at the NSW state election will be many and varied, however, it is clear that his recycled water taste tests were not the magic panacea for the NSW Liberals political woes.

It remains somewhat of a mystery who whispered in Peter Debnam's ear that asking people to drink recycled water was the surest way into the Premier's office ...

Beattie's Climate Change Centre for Politics ...

Qld State opposition accuses Premier Beattie's new Climate Change Centre of Excellence of being less than excellent - working the numbers to show the drought as 'unique' and please their boss.

See - Courier Mail - Rain claims disputed.

Open Forum

Greenbank Community Centre

Sat. 24 March 2007

2.00pm - 4.00pm

No.1 US packaged salad seller refuses lettuce and spinach grown with recycled water ...

The 'perception' issue alive and well in the US - soon to be felt in SEQ.

Excerpt from Business Week:

Distributors aim to alter farm practices

21 March 2007

Trying to prevent more E. coli outbreaks and regain consumer confidence, some produce distributors are pressuring farmers to abandon practices that have long been considered environmentally friendly.

Fresh Express, the nation's No. 1 maker of packaged salads, is refusing to buy lettuce and spinach from farmers who don't stop using compost and recycled water.

"If there's a risk there, we don't want to take it," said Jim Lugg, food safety director of Fresh Express, a division of Chiquita Brands LLC.

Other shippers and handlers want farmers to stop planting native grasses that limit erosion but can attract animals and trap disease-causing bacteria.

Farmers complain that they are being subjected to requirements based more on conjecture than sound science, and that the mandates could undo years of work aimed at making farming less disruptive to the environment.

"There's been some real knee-jerk decisions made in the industry," said Dirk Giannini, who operates a lettuce farm in the agriculture-rich Salinas Valley. "We may overreact, and that might shortfall the environment."

The California agriculture industry, which produces about three-quarters of the nation's lettuce and spinach, is working to regain the trust of consumers after two E. coli outbreaks last year were traced back to the state.

One incident in September left three people dead and sickened more than 200 others. The contamination was tracked to a spinach field in San Benito County.

Food and Drug Administration officials said lettuce grown in the Central Valley was the likely source of an E. coli outbreak in December that sickened about 80 customers at Taco John's restaurants in Minnesota and Iowa. The source of lettuce blamed for 70 cases linked to Taco Bell restaurants on the East Coast remained unknown.

Not all distributors are adopting the stringent policies regarding farm practices.

Will Daniels, food safety chief for Natural Selections LLC, which also distributes packaged produce, said there wasn't enough evidence linking compost use and non-crop growth on farms to the spread of E. coli.

"It's difficult to put blanket statements out there to say, 'There will be no use of grass for erosion control,'" he said.

Industry groups and government officials in California have launched several initiatives aimed at protecting crops against E. coli and other contamination. A state Senate Agriculture Committee hearing that was scheduled Tuesday on three E. coli bills was postponed until next week.

Distributors have until April 1 to sign a statewide self-regulating agreement coordinated by the Western Growers Association, which represents the fresh produce industry in California and Arizona.

The most recent draft of the plan would prohibit deals with farmers who use raw manure as fertilizer and allow livestock near crops, among other practices.

Farmer George Fontes said companies have already stopped buying lettuce grown on his Salinas farm using compost that sometimes contains manure.

"There's no real proven connection between contamination and compost," he said.

Fontes believes that using compost instead of chemical nutrients is better for the long-term health of his fields. Fertilizer can harm nearby waterways because runoff contains nitrogen and other elements that promote algae growth and decrease oxygen, killing fish, he said.

The healthier soil fostered by compost also attracts fewer insects, reducing the need for insecticides that can seep into groundwater, Fontes said.

Lugg said Fresh Express does not buy from farmers who use compost because of concerns that it could contain manure infested with disease-causing bacteria.

The company also refuses to buy from farmers who collect and reuse excess irrigation water because of worries that it could spread bacteria among crops, he said.

Giannini defended his use of reclaimed water, saying it's safe if tested each time it's cycled among crops. In addition, the practice requires less energy than pumping fresh water from wells and keeps farmers from depleting Salinas Valley groundwater, he said.

"It would be hard to say the valley can survive with well water only," he said.

Many farmers along the Central Coast planted native grasses as part of a water quality plan they were required to develop and follow by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Now, they are getting a strong message from distributors that "any kind of vegetation or wildlife around your crops is a food safety risk," said Alison Jones, an environmental scientist with the board.

Diana Stuart is studying the conflicts between food safety and environmental protection as part of her doctoral studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

She has found no conclusive research showing that tilling with compost or planting grass strips along waterways can spread disease-causing bacteria.

"Everyone basically agrees there's a lack of good science, but they think they have to do everything possible to restore consumer trust, so there's this need to move immediately," Stuart said.

See - Business Week - Recycled water ko'd for lettuce and spinach.

SEQ water grid will be too late ...

See - SEQ water grid - we're not going to make it.

ACT begins 'community consultation' on recycled water use ...

See - ABC News - ACT to begin community consultation.

Make mine a ... err ... recycled XXXX ...

Imagine the current meetings in the marketing department at Qld's XXXX brewery.

If Premier Beattie has his way and pumps recycled water into Wivenhoe Dam, the XXXX factory will produce the only beer in Australia made with a high recycled water content.

As this becomes more widely known around Australia, the XXXX marketing team will be scratching their heads trying to deal with the public perception issue.

Imagine how rival beer companies will take advantage of this ...

Thames Water on Beattie's recycled water comments ...

[T]he Government has been accused of lying over its claims that London residents drink recycled water after Thames Water said that was not "strictly true" given it did not operate any water reuse schemes.

See - Courier Mail - Beattie's political trickery exposed.

The politics of recycled water ...

In Qld, Anna Bligh calls it scaremongering.

'[The] booklet was today described by the Government as "scaremongering".'

See - Qld Labor - Anna Bligh - Anyone against drinking recycled water is scaremongering.

In NSW, it's called a Labor election campaign ad.

'And he will force you to drink recycled water.'

See - NSW Labor - Iemma's anti-recycled water ad.

Interesting ...

Melbourne Water - workers fall ill from recycled water ...

The water in question was not fit for human consumption. However, if you can't trust the people running the water company to ensure the quality of their own water, what chance do residents in the suburbs have?

Excerpt from ABC News:

Workers fall ill from unsafe water

20 March 2007

At least 12 Melbourne Water workers have fallen ill after recycled water not fit for human consumption was mistakenly piped to a drinking tap at one of the authority's offices.

The treated recycled water was accidentally connected to a drinking tap in an administration building at the Eastern Treatment Plant at Bangholme, in Melbourne's south, for several weeks before the error was discovered yesterday.

In a media statement, the plant's manager, Mike Smith, said workers had been affected by gastro-intestinal illnesses.

"We became aware of the problem yesterday and immediately switched off the supply," he said.

"I have personally notified employees who had access to the water and we are providing them with expert medical advice."

It's believed the treated water had been piped to the tap since March 1.

The Department of Human Services is investigating how the major plumbing error occurred.

Twenty-five staff and contractors work at the treatment plant, Mr Smith said.

See - Recycled water stuff ups continue.

SEQ recycled water fight begins ...

Something Premier Beattie and Deputy Premier Bligh do not encourage in SEQ:

1. Discussion of opposing views on drinking recycled water

2. Voting on the issue of drinking recycled water.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Recycled water fight begins

20 March 2007
...

Cr Manners said the booklet, entitled 'Think Before You Agree To Drink' was being delivered on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to southeast Queensland letter boxes.

He said he expected about 1.2 million residents in 400,000 homes would read it.

Cr Manners said it was a myth that London and Singapore were using recycled water in their domestic drinking supplies.

He said pro-recycled water lobby had been telling 'lies' and exaggerating the widespread acceptance of recycled water in supplies.

Cr Manners was elected in a by-election last year to Toowoomba City Council after running a similar campaign there against recycling water for domestic supply.

See - Courier Mail - recycled water fight begins.

Also read the book - Courier Mail - Think before you agree to drink.

Wanted: your sewage ...

Small and large amounts
Top dollar paid
All Australian states accepted
All Asian countries accepted
Source does not matter
We will recycle it for human consumption

Apply in writing to:
Anna Bligh
Deputy Premier
Queensland Government
Executive Building
George Street
Brisbane

Qld 4000

Samples can also be posted to the above address.

Please apply before 31 December 2007

or before SEQ runs out of water

whichever is earlier...

Minister Turnbull's comments on Beattie funding application ...

"You could not get a $20,000 loan from a bank to fit out a milk bar based on the sort of non-detail, the lack of information we are getting from the Queensland Government," he said.

See - ABC News - Qld not providing enough detail.

No surprise there ...

Goward on Goulburn - recycled water for drinking is not viable ...

See -ABC News - Goward on Goulburn.

Bligh open to council's free water tank plan ...

... but let's make them drink recycled water first.

See - ABC News - Bligh - tanks could be a long-term plan.

Debnam still trying to get people to drink recycled water ...

You have to wonder - who comes up with a State election strategy which involves the man wanting to be Premier standing on a street corner with cups of recycled water?

Why would anyone think this would be an election winner?

Excerpt from SMH:

Speaking today on the campaign trail in the harbourside suburb of Drummoyne, where he was again promoting recycled water by inviting passing joggers to a blind taste test, Mr Debnam took reporters to task for the day's headlines.

See - Debnam - I'm not giving up - but I'll have a lot of left-over recycled water.

Qld Labor's Armageddon water strategy - take 2 ...

Premier Beattie's 'Armageddon solution' was forcing people to drink recycled water.

With no vote on 17 March (as he had promised) and a commitment to introduce recycled water into SEQ's water supply, this seems more likely (but don't rule out a pre-2009 election backflip).

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh now has an alternative Armageddon strategy.

There's an interesting reference to using recycled water from other sources - what other sources?

And when will they use the term 'Armageddon' correctly?

Excerpt from the Sunday Mail:

'Armageddon' water strategy

18 March 2007

Water shipped from interstate and northern Queensland, and mobile desalination plants, are part of the State Government "armageddon" plan if the southeast runs dry.

Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure Anna Bligh yesterday said emergency measures will be introduced if the region runs out of water before the major projects come on line before the end of 2008.

Ms Bligh said it would take a "catastrophe" for work on the western corridor recycled-water pipeline and the desalination plant on the Gold Coast not to be finished on time.

"But, say for a terrorist attack on Brisbane, people expect us to have contingency plans in place in the extremely unlikely event it happens," she said.

"Do I think we will need them (for the water crisis)? No. But we must have back-up plans."

The closest the Government has come to discussing a worst-case scenario – once described by Premier Peter Beattie as "armageddon" – was on March 6 when he told Parliament the state would use water tankers and ships in a crisis.

Ms Bligh elaborated on the emergency plans yesterday, saying a range of measures were under consideration, including:

• further cuts in water use by power stations in the southeast.
• road or rail tankers supplying water to SEQ towns with fewer than 30,000 people.
• use of mobile desalination plants for smaller areas.
• other sources of recycled water.

Tarong power station will slash its electricity output to just 30 per cent from March 30, saving an estimated 22,000 megalitres of water over the next 15 months.

Swanbank has also reduced its output.

Ms Bligh said there could be further cutbacks – with electricity to be supplied from interstate via the national grid – or the recycled water that was scheduled to be pumped to the power stations could instead by sent to the region's dams.

She said some smaller towns could be given outside water to take them off the Wivenhoe Dam tap.

"We will do what is necessary to help eke water out a bit longer," she said.

Ms Bligh was adamant southeast Queensland would not run out of water within 18 months.

"Current estimates show that with only half of the inflows of 2004-05 – our worst year on record – there will still be more than 5 per cent in our dams in December 2008, when the recycled water pipeline will be in full operation.

"Even if inflows dropped drastically below that level which forecasts show is extremely unlikely, SEQ Water has assessed that water quality can be assured down to 1 per cent in the major dam system."

Level 5 restrictions begin on April 10, with Level 6 expected by September and Level 7 by April next year.

See - Anna's Armageddon strategy.

Remember, Anna says Level 6 and 7 water restrictions don't exist ...

Tanks cleared for safe drinking ...

Excerpt from the Sunday Mail:

Tanks cleared for safe drinking

18 March 2007

A major study of rainwater tank quality in Brisbane has found it good enough to drink.

The $600,000 study by Brisbane City Council on 29 rainwater tanks found the water met Australian Drinking Water Guidelines in most cases.

Final results will be released in July. However, the study found fecal coliforms and e.coli within acceptable levels, except where animals and foliage polluted the roof-top water source.

Water was even considered "pure" in two of the tanks which underwent monthly monitoring by the Scientific Analytical Laboratory.

Under the trial, homeowners within a 12km radius of the CBD paid 50 per cent of the cost of fitting rainwater tanks, dual flush toilets, AAA-rated shower roses, water pressure limiting devices and energy-efficient light globes.

The tanks were plumbed to the toilets, outdoor hoses and hot water systems.
Results from the study are being used to develop national water tank guidelines.

It has already resulted in plumbing and drainage legislation being changed to include rainwater as a source.

A council spokesman said the study found the water was not "pristine" but had very low concentrations of micro organisms.

Despite this, the council is refusing to declare it fit to drink.

See - Tank study.

With pre-water restrictions outside water use representing around 30% of household consumption, it makes no sense why the State government and Councils have not implemented a broader tank use program - at least for outdoor use ...

The inconvenient truth about "An Inconvenient Truth" ...

Excerpt from the New York Times (as reprinted by the Sydney Morning Herald):

Scientists have inconvenient news for Gore

March 14, 2007

The environmental campaigner Al Gore may have won over Hollywood with his documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

But the scientific world is proving a much tougher audience for his relentless campaign to raise public awareness of climate change.

There is a rising chorus of concern, extending even to "moderate" scientists with no political axe to grind, over the former US vice-president's tactics and advocacy.

The nub of their concern is a belief that he has over-egged his case. That, in trying to sell to the public the dangers of complacency in combating global warming, he is guilty of a number of convenient untruths or distortions.

The main charges are that he has skated over the Earth's history of climate change and that his talk of impending doom ignores that change is a slow-motion process.

Even a top adviser to Mr Gore, the environmental scientist James Hansen, admits the former vice-president's work may hold "imperfections" and "technical flaws".

Read the full article - Scientists have inconvenient news for Gore.

India - no takers for recycled water ...

See - No takers for recycled water in Mumbai.

Qld Labor politics and murky wastewater contracts ...

A Qld Labor MP transfers control of a company into his wife's name. Company is a large shareholder of a business which then gains wastewater management contract from State Labor government following post-resignation 'to do' list by former State Labor Minister now charged with corruption.

Nothing unusual there ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Fenlon answers sent to CMC

16 March 2007

Embattled Labor MP Gary Fenlon has been forced to provide details about his knowledge and involvement in a company at the centre of a CMC investigation.

Premier Peter Beattie demanded detailed answers in a letter to Mr Fenlon recently and the MP's subsequent answers were this week sent to the Crime and Misconduct Commission.
...

Mr Fenlon has been drawn into the investigation of former Health Minister and close friend Gordon Nuttall through an intricate web of companies.

In 2004, Mr Fenlon transferred his private company, Rocksavage, into his wife's name.

Rocksavage owns a significant share of GBG Project Management, also owned by Labor figures Brendan McKennariey and Graham Doyle.

Former Queensland Health bureaucrat Geoff Stevenson, who was hired during Mr Nuttall's reign and left a short time after, is GBG's chief executive officer.

Mr McKennariey and Mr Stevenson have been raided by the CMC in relation to the watchdog's probe into health contracts awarded to Gowdie Project Management while Mr Nuttall was minister.

It is believed Gowdie may have subcontracted the work out to GBG.

In Parliament yesterday, the Opposition released a copy of GBG's February 2007 information memorandum which reveals Gowdie works as a consultant for the company.

The document, written by accountants Ernst & Young, states GBG received a $328,953 Queensland Health contract. It also claims it may receive a $1.2 million Brisbane Water contract, however a spokesman for Lord Mayor Campbell Newman last night rejected this.

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg said it was highly questionable for a Labor MP to stand to financially benefit from government contracts.

Mr Beattie said he was unaware of the Queensland Health contract GBG referred to in the memorandum but there was no evidence "at this time" that Mr Fenlon had done anything wrong.

The CMC would not comment on whether it was investigating the MP. Mr Fenlon would not return calls.

But GBG's lawyers denied the company received $1.6 million in government contracts. They claimed GBG was granted only one $376,000 contract for a wastewater management system at Greenbank State School, south of Brisbane.

"GBG has (also) not made any payments by way of salary, commissions, dividends or by any other means to Gary Fenlon, his wife or Rocksavage Pty Ltd."

See - Fenlon answers sent to CMC.

SEQ - no uniform water restrictions until grid completed ...

SEQ mayors are arguing for consistent level 5 restrictions for the region. The State Labor government (via the QWC) says sure but wait until the water grid is finished.

But isn't the water grid supposed to solve SEQ's water issues, meaning restrictions will be relaxed?

Perhaps not.

Not a surprise given that recycled water is not a new water source (desalination is) and ultimately the recycled water plant may be recycling 80% of nothing.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Uniform water restrictions urged

16 March 2007

Mayors have called on all southeast Queensland councils to fall into line with next month's tough level 5 water restrictions.

Six local government areas - Boonah, Redland, Toowoomba, Noosa, Caloundra and Maroochy - operate independently because they have water supplies not connected to the Wivenhoe system.

Redland Shire residents, for example, are still hosing gardens under level 2 water restrictions, and Sunshine Coast residents have no restrictions at all.

And some mayors are now saying it is time for restrictions to be uniform – even in shires that aren't currently connected to parched Wivenhoe.

"We're all part of Southeast Queensland; we should all have the same restrictions," said Logan Mayor Graham Able.

"It's a perception thing," agreed Redcliffe Mayor Allan Sutherland. "We should be preserving every drop we've got."

The Queensland Water Commission, which was created to establish uniform restrictions to end squabbling among mayors, has yet to develop one rulebook for all 18 shires.

The Water Commission intends to wait until the shires are linked by the water grid before having uniform rules, but that could take another two years.

See - QWC - established to sit around and do nothing.

Toowoomba gets climate change centre ...

... but not for long.

Excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald:

Climate change centre opens in Qld

16 March 2007

A new centre which hopes to put Queensland at the forefront of climate change technology has opened.

Premier Peter Beattie, who opened the Queensland Climate Change Centre, said its scientists would tap into the latest knowledge from around the world to help plan for and adapt to the state's changing environment.

One of its first projects will be to investigate the effectiveness of cloud seeding in Queensland.
...

The centre has an annual budget of $7.5 million and was an election promise.

It has two offices, based at Indooroopilly, in Brisbane's west, and Toowoomba west of the Queensland capital.

But the centre will be relocated to central Brisbane in 2010.

See - Climate centre has short term accommodation in Toowoomba.

US Federal Appeals Court rules against use of recycled water ...

... says "reclaimed water" is a euphemism for "treated sewage effluent".

See - Fake snow out for Snowbowl.

US Federal Appeals Court - should baptisms be carried out with reclaimed water ...

Comments by Judge Fletcher in the Snowbowl case:

"To get some sense of equivalence," Judge William A. Fletcher wrote for the panel, "it may be useful to imagine the effect on Christian beliefs and practices - and the imposition that Christians would experience - if the government were to require that baptisms be carried out with 'reclaimed water.' "

See - Fake snow out for Snowbowl.

Arizona Snowbowl judgment - recycled water questioned ...

Concerns raised over the use of 100% recycled water.

Arizona law does not permit recycled water for drinking.

Recycled water in question regarded as Class A water but not 'pure' water - no RO process but UV radiation used.

Read the judgment - Arizona Snowbowl judgment - page 21 onwards.

The struggle against the use of recycled water - Save the Peaks ...

See - SavethePeaks.org

Native Americans suffer the YUK factor ...

Excerpt from International Herald Tribune:

Treated sewage barred for snow at ski resort

14 March 2007

An Arizona ski resort's plan to use treated sewage to make snow on a mountain sacred to several Native American tribes violates religious freedom laws, according to a U.S. appeals court ruling.

The decision Monday on the resort, Arizona Snowbowl, was a victory for the tribes after years of setbacks in their fight to bar it from using waste water on the federally owned mountain 150 miles, or 240 kilometres north of Phoenix.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit cited the religious significance of the mountain to the Navajos, Hopi, Hualapai and Havasupai tribes.

See also - Arizona Republic - Fake snow out for Snowbowl.

Several Arizona Native communities hold the San Francisco Peaks sacred in their religions.

The judges wrote on behalf of the Hopi and Navajo, whose creation stories and other beliefs center on the peaks, and to a lesser extent on behalf of the Hualapai and Havasupai tribes.

The tribes objected to making snow in general as disruptive to the deities on the mountains and to the treated water in particular because it came from sewage and may even include water reclaimed from mortuaries.

SEQ water grid - plans and progress ...

Look at the SEQ water grid plans and progress here - Brisbane Times water map.

Beattie and Bligh put revised number on table ...

Remember the State government's split personality approach to water price hikes - this Labor government official says 'they'll be this high' and the next Labor government official says 'no, that's too high, we'll get another Labor government official to review them'.

In State parliament today, Beattie and Bligh revised their figures downwards to make it seem as though they were inflicting less pain on voters.

Excerpt from Courier Mail (annotated):

Deputy Premier and Treasurer Anna Bligh told State Parliament today she had received preliminary advice that the Queensland Water Commission's [read - State Labor government's] proposed 150 per cent increase in water prices could be eased.

[It took just 3 days to backflip on the numbers.]

Ms Bligh said this would involve a series of measures including the Government accepting only a break-even return of four per cent on its $8 billion statewide water grid project over the next 10 years.

She said if the measures were taken, the Government could halve the commission's [read - State Labor Government's] proposed price rise.

"Reducing the commercial returns on these investments over the next decade will go a long way to help cushion the impact on consumers,'' Ms Bligh said. She said the average bill would then increase from $350 to $525 over five years, rather than to $733 under the commission's [read - State Labor government's] estimates.

See - Courier Mail - Beattie's real number revealed.

This was probably their number all along - 'just get the QWC to dribble out the higher number to shock voters and then we'll let them know the real one' ...

SEQ ratepayers left high and dry ...

Good summary on current SEQ water issues from the Gold Coast Bulletin.

An excerpt (annotated):

All the water shoals could have been avoided if the 1980s proposal to build Wolffdene Dam behind Beenleigh had gone ahead. In size it would have been closer to the huge Wivenhoe Dam in the Brisbane Valley than the Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast.

Opposing the dam was a crucial 1989 election plank for the Wayne Goss team. Goss was egged on at protest meetings by Midnight Oil singer turned MP Peter Garrett. The great drought of the early 21st century was not foreseen. The 'sunbelt' population growth potential in southeast Queensland was ignored.

[Not to mention Kevin Rudd's involvement as Goss's chief adviser.]
...

Premier Peter Beattie can see the not-so-submerged political dangers lurking ahead. He even allowed wife Heather to be falsely touted as a lord mayoral candidate in Brisbane last weekend to distract examination of the water proposals.

See - Gold Coast Bulletin - Ratepayers high and dry.

Toowoomba not in SEQ water grid ...

... but faces quandary over Beattie asset grab.

Toowoomba is currently excluded from the SEQ water grid and presumably falls outside Premier Beattie's current SEQ water asset grab.

However, should the Premier extend his asset accumulation tactics to Toowoomba and its three dams and related infrastructure, Toowoomba City Council faces a difficult position.

Toowoomba's water infrastructure is owned by the community.

It accounts for roughly a third of the net assets of the community managed by the Toowoomba City Council (around $325m out of around $970m of net assets - based on 2004/5 figures).

Toowoomba City Council would need to think long and hard as to whether it had the right, without recourse to the community, to hand over one third of the community's assets to the State government.

There are certainly people in the community who would look at the legal implications of such action by the Council and whether a form of class action for compensation to the community was appropriate.

Remember, Premier Beattie is currently offering no compensation to local councils for the asset grab.

In the absence of legislation compelling Toowoomba City Council to transfer around one third of the community's assets to the State government (with presumably appropriate compensation paid similar to arrangements under compulsory acquisition legislation), the Council may have no right to hand over the community's assets without a mandate from the community.

Another referendum anyone ...

Premier Beattie - give me SEQ water assets ...

... or I'll take them anyway.

More of that "do what I want or else" attitude from Premier Beattie.

Excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald:

Beattie faces battle over water takeover

12 March 2007

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie is facing a battle with local councils over a proposal for the state government to take control of water infrastructure.

Mr Beattie has called on local councils to voluntarily hand over control of water or face new laws.

City and shire councils in the state's south-east have said they will campaign against a doubling of water charges, which Queensland's water commission has proposed to pay for $8 billion worth of new infrastructure.

Mr Beattie has accused the councils of profiteering from existing water charges and not reinvesting money in infrastructure.

On Monday Mr Beattie upped the stakes, saying the state government would seize control of water projects if councils did not cooperate.

"We are not going to end up over the next 12 months with (Brisbane Lord Mayor) Campbell Newman and all the other councils out there scoring cheap political points just to get re-elected," he said.

"Today I want to ask them to hand it over without the need for legislation."

Mr Beattie said there were 19 water storages within 18 councils and a "whole string of multiple ownerships".

"We need one authority ... in the south-east corner to run water," he said.

"We've had enough of the nonsense. We're not interested in ongoing argy-bargy. We want to deliver certainty on water and that's exactly what we'll do."

He ruled out compensating councils if a takeover went ahead.

Queensland does not control water storages, which are mostly owned by local councils.

He said Queensland and Tasmania were the only states in Australia where water was run by local government (sic).

It was unknown how the authority would work, but under the proposal councils could be required by law to continue collecting water revenue.

Mr Newman, who is also the chairman of south-east Queensland's Council of Mayors, said a takeover would not work.

"We're opposed to a takeover because it's just the premier playing games," he said.

"The premier is doing everything he can to distract people from the core issue, which is the mayors saying families shouldn't have to cop $1,000 a year water bills."

See - Beattie in childish asset grab.

Of course, aggregating SEQ's water assets under one corporate entity is just one step away from privatisation.

More and more Premier Beattie is sounding like some Aussie-accented third world dictator ...

Anna and Liz perfect their 'good cop bad cop' routine ...

... with a little help from Peter.

First, establish a so-called 'independent' Commission to look at the contentious issue of water.

Next, let it release all the bad news.

Let the voters blame the Commission and hang the Commission head out to dry a few times.

And then strike a middle ground not quite as unpleasant for voters.

Unrealistic view of Qld politics?

Excerpt from the Courier Mail (annotated - remember all these people and entities are part of the same Qld Labor government):

State hoses down water price rise fears

9 March 2007

The Queensland Government [Qld Labor government] has moved to hose down fears of hefty water prices under southeast Queensland's new level five restrictions.

Queensland Water Commissioner Elizabeth Nosworthy [also Qld Labor government] today announced details of the restrictions, due to come into force on April 10, including a rise in water prices from next year of between 13 and 22 per cent, or an average increase of $71 a year.
...

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh [Qld Labor government] said the rise was too high and would come into effect too soon.

“I have instructed Treasury [also Qld Labor government] to look at the models, including whether or not we adopt a cost recovery approach to see how we can minimise the impact on consumers,” Ms Bligh.

“I think people do understand that it's better to pay more for water than not have enough of it but they also know it's got to be reasonable.

“Water is an essential service and I will not see it priced beyond the reach of ordinary Queenslanders, and if that means we have to breach the national water initiative principles then we will do that.”

Ms Bligh [Qld Labor government] said the five-year timeframe outlined by the water commission [Qld Labor government] was too short.

“We'll be looking at spreading the pain over a much longer period of time and we will be looking at whether cost recovery should apply in these circumstances,” Ms Bligh said.

See - Qld Labor government talks with itself.

In summary, the Qld Labor government says that the price rises that the Qld Labor government have proposed are too high and they will be reviewed by the Qld Labor government. The Qld Labor government also believes that the timeframe for price increases proposed by the Qld Labor government are too short and the Qld Labor government will look at implementing them over a longer period.

Politics ...

SEQ water debate - add a little misdirecton ...

Can proposing Mrs Beattie as a possible Brisbane Lord Mayor contender be anything other than a little misdirection by the Premier to take some of the focus away from the Level 5 water restriction announcements?

Judging from the feedback, it worked (no-one ever said the Premier wasn't politically shrewd) but, just in case they really think Mrs Beattie should run for Mayor, perhaps they should read some of the comments - a minor indication of public sentiment towards the Premier's wife.

See - Courier Mail - comments - Mrs Beattie for Lord Mayor.

Politics ...

All aboard the carbon train ...

Some interesting comments on the money making enterprise which is global warming.

Excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald:

We need credible guidance, not least in helping us understand what we do and do not know. Much of what is said publicly on the subject assumes a far greater level of certainty than in fact exists.

One example of this is the models that produce the forecasts or predictions used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others to suggest how the climate will change.

Many scientists have noted that we just don't understand how the climate works well enough to place as much credence on these models as many people, particularly activists, now do.

We were reminded of another important aspect of our uncertainty over climate yesterday in the Herald by the climate expert Professor Andy Pitman, who's about to become co-head of a new climate change research centre at the University of NSW.

Referring to [New South Wales] he said: "We do not know why we are in such a severe drought, nor if this is natural or significantly enhanced through human activities via global warming."

The problem with climate change now is that it's difficult to keep one's sense of proportion because of the alarmism that's so widespread. There used to be a phrase, "the gravy train", to describe some fad or enterprise people could board to make money.

I think we need a new concept, "the carbon train", to describe what's happening now. As well as all those sincerely concerned, there are lots of people jumping on board the climate issue for money, publicity or votes, or just to feel good.

The Federal Government has hopped on just as the train's leaving the station. Sceptics wonder if its concern will extend beyond giving the appearance of action. My heart sank this week when Malcolm Turnbull announced $52.8 million would be spent before the federal election to send a booklet to every household in Australia urging it to use less power.

Business is clambering on board the carbon train. A few years ago environmentalists became excited when the insurance industry announced it believed in global warming as a serious threat to humanity. Activists assured us global warming "must" be a threat if "even" big business accepted it. The fact this gave insurers a reason to ramp up premiums, and therefore profits, was rarely noted.

See - SMH - With friends like Erin.

QWC water solution - cut back on showers ...

After months of planning, that's the solution from the QWC boffins - something a 5 year old could have thought up. Imagine if you added up all the QWC salaries it took to come to this conclusion!

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Quick – get out of the shower

9 March 2007

Shorter showers are the new weapon in southeast Queensland's race to reduce water consumption under tough new level 5 restrictions to be announced today.

The restrictions aim to cut household water use by 20 per cent but will rely on encouragement, rather than enforcement.

They will, however, take a more heavy-handed approach to households with high water consumption who will be sent letters to "please explain" their excess consumption.

The restrictions will be revealed to southeast Queensland's mayors today.
...

As long as pipelines and a desalination plant are delivered on time, the Water Commission does not predict water supplies will fall below 5 per cent of capacity, but it is preparing level 6 and 7 restrictions to enact if the situation changes.

Remember Anna Bligh said Level 6 and 7 didn't and wouldn't exist ...

See - Beattie to peer over the shower screen to time your shower.

Premier Beattie - fiddling while SEQ dried up ...

There is little doubt that the Qld Labor government has exacerbated the current water crisis in SEQ, either deliberately or by lack of action.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

State ignored water warning

7 March 2007

A blueprint for shielding southeast Queensland from a looming water crisis was handed to the State Government six years ago but ignored.

The extensive report was commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources and made wide-ranging recommendations to reduce spiralling water usage.

The recommendations included an extensive rebate regime for water-wise products, subsidised household and business efficiency audits, transparent water pricing and a program to reduce leaking pipes.

Many of the recommended actions were introduced only last year, some identical to what the report originally suggested, as the southeast descended into a water crisis and a state election loomed.

Water Minister Craig Wallace, who was not in Parliament when the report was commissioned, last night attempted to distance the Government from its own report.

Mr Wallace said it had been aimed at assisting local councils, not the State Government, in water management.

However, Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney described the report as the smoking gun of the water crisis which proved the Government had been warned to address the issue but had done nothing.

"Labor asked for this report and then promptly ignored the advice it provided," he said. "If Premier Peter Beattie had followed the advice of this report in 2000, Queensland would not be in the situation it is today."

A high-level department source said the report cost about $300,000 and its recommendations were now the basis for what the Government was doing.

Written in 2000 by multinational consultants Montgomery Watson, the report warned of significant increases in demand for water across Queensland over the next 20 years based on the five diverse communities it studied.

See - Courier Mail - Beattie spends $300,000 on report then shelves it.

Read the Report - State government urban water use report - executive summary.

Premier Beattie's reaction?

He was too busy playing games in State parliament yesterday:

Mr Beattie: "The Leader of the Opposition is against everything. I reckon you are against Christmas. I reckon you are so negative that you are against Christmas."

Acting Speaker: "Order! Premier, please direct your comments through the chair."

Mr Beattie: "Through you, Mr Acting Speaker -- I reckon you are against Santa Claus. I reckon you are against the Easter bunny. You are against Christmas and you are against Easter."

See - Gold Coast Bulletin - 'Proud' day for politics.

Amazing ...

South Australia looks to desalination ...

Excerpt from the Australian:

Rann approves desalination plant study for SA

6 March 2007

Adelaide may join Perth and the Gold Coast as cities supplied with desalinated water after the Rann Government yesterday launched a feasibility study.

Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald said the record drought had made a desalination plant a possibility “to meet the needs and circumstances Adelaide faces in this and possible future droughts”.

See - Rann approves desalination plant study for SA.

Darling River system - dying of thirst ...

Comments on the Darling River system:

The Darling River's flow has been halved by evaporation, government reservoirs, hillside dams on farms and huge private irrigation storages.

The river is being devastated by over-extraction, a report for the Murray-Darling Basin Commission has found.

Enough water to fill Sydney Harbour four times over - about 2 million megalitres - is evaporating from storage dams along the river each year.

This is a quarter of the river's annual average flow and has contributed to the astonishingly rapid demise of a number of internationally recognised wetlands.

See - SMH - Darling River system - dying of thirst.

The tit for tat world of recycled water publications ...

Following publication and dissemination of the book - Think Before You Agree To Drink - Minister Turnbull has announced the Federal government will print its own book - spending around $200,000 of taxpayers' money in the process.

See - More trees killed to promote recycled water for drinking.

Premier Beattie - time to reveal Level 5 secrets ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Beattie to brief mayors on level five water restrictions

5 March 2007

The countdown begins today for level five water restrictions in south-east Queensland.

The next stage of drought measures will kick in next month, but the details cannot be unveiled until all the mayors have been briefed later this week.

To complicate matters, not all councils are obliged to follow the plan because some local dams are in better shape than others.

Premier Peter Beattie wants everyone on the same page.

"That means everybody pulling in the same direction, not being selfish and worried about simply getting re-elected," he said.

Mr Beattie has a similar warning for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union in its dispute with a water pipe construction company over pay and conditions.

"Queenslanders would take a very dim view if there was an attempt by anybody to hold the State Government hostage at a time when we're in the middle of a drought," he said.

But the union has already said it is hopeful the dispute can be resolved soon.

See - Level 5 water restrictions discussed.

And an excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Taps to tighten further

6 March 2007

Southeast Queenslanders could be asked to cut at least another 20 litres per person from their daily water consumption when tough level 5 restrictions begin next month.

The target for level 4 restrictions has been 200 litres per person per day, but the target is expected to fall "under 180" litres when the new restrictions begin on April 10.

About 10 litres of water flows through each minute in a shower without a water saving nozzle, while a full toilet flush takes 12 litres of water.

Despite community pressure, the Water Commission has refused to reveal its level 5 restrictions before briefing southeast Queensland mayors on Friday.

Consumers were conservative during February's mild weather, dropping individual consumption to about 180 litres per person. But consumption levels exceeded 200 litres per person in January.

Mayors were still in the dark on level 5, despite pledges of close local and state co-operation when the Commission was created.

Redcliffe Mayor Allan Sutherland said he was "bitterly disappointed" the Commission had not adequately consulted with mayors on level 5 strategy.

Suspicions are the Water Commission will force councils to identify and fine residents who use too much water, but this may be impractical and beyond the scope of local government.

"I'm fearful what's happening will divide neighbour against neighbour," Cr Sutherland said.

See - Mayors still in the dark o Level 5 water restrictions.

Pipeline dispute leaving Qld's water supply vulnerable ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Pipeline dispute leaving Qld's water supply vulnerable, Opposition says

3 March 2007

The Queensland Opposition says the industrial dispute over the new water pipeline has left the south-east's water supply vulnerable.

Tyco Water has a $400 million contract to make 80 per cent of the pipes for the water grid, but it is in dispute with employees over working hours.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) says the row could delay the crucial project and it wants the State Government to intervene.

Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh says the Queensland Government is aware of the matter, but it is an issue for the contractor to resolve.

She says the Government believes the parties will act in good faith and reach a solution as soon as possible.

But Liberal Leader Dr Bruce Flegg says that shows the Government is not taking the water crisis seriously.

See - SEQ water grid - timing going down the drain.

And from the Courier Mail:

Bad luck continues to plague the region with cyclones disappearing from the radar and setbacks on pipelines to keep Brisbane from running dry.

Less than 2km of the 200km Western Corridor recycled water pipeline has been laid, but it must be finished by December 2008.

And yesterday talks between Tyco and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union over a pay dispute broke down, with the union warning of delays in the project if an agreement is not reached.

The AMWU has proposed a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week roster to ensure the pipes could be made in time, however, the union said Tyco only wanted a six-day roster with reduced penalty rates.

See - SEQ water grid - we think we'll still make it.

Industry the key to water crisis ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Industry the key to water crisis, says union boss

28 February 2007

A major conference has been told that industry is the key to a future without water restrictions.

Australian Workers Union national secretary Bill Shorten told the Australian Water Summit in Melbourne that industry and unions must work together in finding solutions to water shortages in Australia.

He said while households had done their bit to save on water use, there needed to be much greater accountability from industry.

"I think it's a case of where you want to be in 10 years time," he said.

"I think industry is capable of making long term decisions. I think industry has been doing things, I think there's more for it to do.

"There are a range of sectors that could lift their game. It's a matter of discussion, it's not a matter of allocating blame, but I do think it's possible to use our water more wisely and spread it around better than we do."

Mr Shorten said there was a problem with telling the story about the water crisis and that consensus was needed in the debate about how to deal with the issue.

"Our union believes that one of the contributions that can be made is getting a political consensus around the myths - this us versus them attitude, the role of the private sector, the role of recycled water - I think most people get that there's a water problem, most people get there are solutions.

" think most people's eyes glaze over when they see the various partisans and various causes and points of view arguing about their particular solution and I think Kevin Rudd is on the right track trying to take some of the politics out of it."

"I think industry use of recycled water is an area which everyone can work collaboratively on."

See - Time for industry to step up.

Toowoomba City Council - dead councillors walking ...

You would think it reasonable that some research into existing operations be conducted before tripping off to the South Australian wine country to examine alternatives.

But no - a request by Cr Manners for Council to defer a trip to an Adelaide cemetery in order to prepare an economic assessment on the Toowoomba funeral industry failed to find any support among either the gaggle of Yes councillors or the two No councillors.

Much better for Cr Beer, 'other interested councillors' and an assorted Council hangers-on to use ratepayers funds on flights and accommodation for a 'fact finding' trip to Adelaide.

There must be a sense of panic in the Council - such is the near desperate rush to get in a few more 'perk' trips before the 2008 elections.

The last trip to Adelaide was Councillor Schneider's trip to inspect a flag pole last November! (See - Councillor Schneider's flag pole visit.)

Fearful of a 'wave of change' about to wash over the Council following the 2008 Council elections, you can expect Councillors concerned about their re-election chances as well as senior Council staff to start reinventing both themselves and the image of the Council.

Twelve months is a long time in politics and anything is possible but the damage seems to have been done.

The Mayor and Councillors elected in 2004 have very little credibility in the community - they are seen as 'dead councillors walking' by a majority of voters keen for a change in direction and a desire for their elected officials to listen to the community.

Cr Manners' reasonable request falling on deaf ears is symptomatic of the problems within the Toowoomba City Council and only a complete clean out of all other elected officials in March 2008 will allow the process of rebuilding Toowoomba's image both within Qld and interstate to commence ...

Travelling the well trodden path to Singapore ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Delegation embarks on recycled water fact-finding mission

27 February 2007

ACTEW and ACT Government officials are on a fact-finding mission to Singapore to help decide whether to introduce recycled water into Canberra's supply.

The delegation hopes to learn lessons from Singapore which uses a recycled effluent scheme similar to that proposed for the ACT.

ACTEW technical specialist Aspi Baria says the trip will focus on the health aspects of recycled water.

"We'd very much like to see how well and how successful these technical advancements they've adopted [are] but it's more important to see how well they've managed the health issue regarding the water which has been treated," he said.

Mr Baria says the team also wants to learn about all aspects of introducing recycled water into a catchment.

"What [are the] technical details of the scheme, what are the issues we need to look at, how well we can hook it up to our old system and also to look at the community engagement process they have used to make sure this was a successful campaign," he said.

See - Let's go shopping in Singapore.

Shouldn't be a problem as long as they recognise that they are flying into a country with limited democratic rights and restricted personal and press freedom ...

Water Futures - Reassessment not appropriate ...

Recent Letter to the Editor, the Chronicle:

Reassessment not appropriate

Many Toowoomba voters and people living in surrounding shires will be disappointed at Mayor Dianne Thorley's decision to force on us a reassessment of the Water Futures recycled water project.

In July 2006, 61.8% of Toowoomba voters said they did not want Toowoomba to proceed with a recycled water for drinking project. This was a clear directive to the Toowoomba City Council from the community. And yet, seven months later, Cr Thorley is trying to revive her project, despite comments by the State government that they do not support it.

It is unfortunate that voters must wait until next year to send Cr Thorley a message on her inability to listen to the community.

Elected representatives should represent their constituents, not engage in tactics to try to justify wasting almost $1 million of ratepayers money pursuing a project the mayor knew the community did not support.

All Cr Thorley achieved at the Council meeting earlier this month was to ensure that the use of recycled water for drinking is the core election issue at the 2008 Council elections.

And Toowoomba voters know exactly where she and the other "yes" councillors stand on this issue.

RM
Toowoomba

TCC, CMC, NWC and a variety of other initials ...

An update on the fallout from the rather hurriedly prepared Water Futures NWC funding submission - here.

Swedish frogs confused ...

Those sex changing frogs are back!

Former State opposition leader Lawrence Springborg will be relieved to know that there is a study in Sweden that bears out his comments that pollutants can turn males into females. Obviously this study did not involve a comparison of potable vs. recycled water and the scientists will have to debate whether the RO processes currently available can remove all pollutants from recycled water.

From Agence France-Presse

Pollutants changing male frogs into female frogs

1 March 2007

Frogs that started life as male tadpoles were changed in an experiment into females by oestrogen-like pollutants similar to those found in the environment, according to a new study.

The results may shed light on at least one reason that up to a third of frog species around the world are threatened by extinction, suggests the study, set to appear in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in May.

In a laboratory at Uppsala University in Sweden, two species of frogs were exposed to levels of oestrogen similar to those detected in natural bodies of water in Europe, the United States and Canada.

The results were startling: whereas the percentage of females in two control groups was under 50 per cent - not unusual among frogs - the sex ratio in three pairs of groups maturing in water dosed with different levels of oestrogen were significantly skewed.

Even tadpoles exposed to the weakest concentration of the hormone were, in one of the two groups, twice as likely to become females.

The population of the two groups receiving the heaviest does of oestrogen became 95% female in one case, and 100 per cent in the other.

"The results are quite alarming," said co-author Cecilia Berg, a researcher in environmental toxicology. "We see these dramatic changes by exposing the frogs to a single substance. In nature there could be lots of other compounds acting together."

Earlier studies in the United States, Berg explained, linked a similar sex-reversal of Rana pipiens male frogs - one of the two species used in the experiment - in the wild to a pesticide that produced oestrogen-like compounds.

"Pesticides and other industrial chemicals have the ability to act like oestrogen in the body," Berg said.

The study does not measure the potential impact of pollutant-driven sex change for frog species, but the implications, said Berg, are disquieting.

"Obviously if all the frogs become female it could have a detrimental effect on the [frog] population,"she said.

Beattie woes continue - ex-Minister Rose expected to plead guilty ...

See - Rose 'likely to plead guilty'.

See also - Threat case to remain secret.

QWC on SEQ water grid - we're not going to make it ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

We could run out of water

1 March 2007

Southeast Queensland residents are now faced with the real prospect of running out of water before crucial infrastructure can be completed.

Startling new figures reveal inflows into the Wivenhoe Dam system dwindled to only 2733 megalitres in January, 83 per cent lower than the previous January, which was the worst on record.

The prospect of sustained drenching rain will diminish from today, the first day of autumn and the start of the driest part of the year.

The record low inflows drastically raise the likelihood of a raft of draconian new restrictions, such as rationing, as well as power station shutdowns.

Treasurer Anna Bligh admitted yesterday that the critically low dam inflows would likely force the Government to rethink its estimate of how long the remaining water would last.

She said capacity of the region's dams could drop below the previous estimate of 5 per cent by the end of 2008, when crucial infrastructure is due to be completed.

"I think you would have to expect that if we continue to see the sort of decline in inflows to the dam that we have seen in December and January, then there will have to be some reassessment on what the impact on the dam levels will be by the end of this year and the year after that," Ms Bligh said.

Her comments came as she released the latest of monthly updates on the progress of critical water infrastructure projects, which showed that eight, including the recycled water pipeline, remained behind schedule.

Work on the pipeline 24 hours a day began last night, however this is not expected to bring forward the December 31 completion date next year. Coalition infrastructure spokesman Bruce Flegg said water rationing was now looming.

See - QWC - Calling International Rescue.

How could a State government allow itself to get into such a predicament ...

Anna Bligh - Level 5 water restrictions - engaging in secret Deputy Premier's business ...

Excerpt from ABC News (annotated) - even Deputy Mayor Ramia says his 5 cents worth:

Bligh defends refusal to reveal water ban plans

28 February 2007

Queensland Deputy Premier Anna Bligh says she was briefed on level five water restrictions in the state's south-east because they could require legislative changes.

But Ms Bligh is refusing to reveal the details because she says the proposals are not necessarily final.

The Opposition has been highly critical of the fact that residents and businesses will only get a month's warning of what level five involves.

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg yesterday asked the Water Commission for a briefing, but says he is still waiting.

Ms Bligh is standing by the Commission.

"The material they've put to me, I don't regard as final," he said.

"I understand from them that they are continuing to have discussions with councils about the workability of some of the proposals.

"Some of the proposals may well have budget implications as well."

South-east Queensland residents and businesses had about six weeks' notice of level four restrictions.

Toowoomba has been on level five restrictions since September 2006, and Councillor Joe Ramia says locals were given at least six months' advance warning.

Councillor Ramia says the lengthy lead-in time was important.

"The more time that people have to readjust, the easier I think it'll be for the Commission and for the councils to live with and the State Government," he said.

"If you could give them three to four months, the backlash mightn't be too bad, but if you give them a month I think you could have blood on the floor." [or people dropping rocks on each other, Joe.]

See - ABC News - Bligh engages in secret Deputy Premier's business.