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 ...