Turnbull targets Traveston ...

Politics. Premier Beattie will not be amused.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Turnbull targets Traveston

13 April 2007

Traveston Crossing Dam has been dragged back into the spotlight by Federal Water Minister Malcolm Turnbull's controversial plan to pump water from the NSW northern rivers to Queensland's parched southeast.

Mr Turnbull yesterday said the series of pipelines from the Clarence, Mann and Tweed rivers could be a viable alternative to Traveston, which has been condemned widely by environmentalists, farmers and local residents.

The outrage was underscored by the fact only one of 187 submissions to next week's Senate dam inquiry was in favour of the project – and that was from the State Government.

Mr Turnbull used Brisbane's Parliament House as a backdrop to criticise Premier Peter Beattie for the water crisis.

"The responsibility for Queensland's water supplies lies with the State Government. Mr Beattie has no one to blame but himself," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard issued a strong warning to NSW Premier Morris Iemma, saying he should not dismiss the pipelines out of hand for political reasons.

"It's not NSW's water, it's Australian water and I think Australian water should be available for Australians on terms that are fair and equitable," Mr Howard said.

Mr Turnbull released a National Water Commission study showing 795 million litres of water a day could be diverted by building five dams and weirs on the northern rivers and moving the water north.

The cost would be "significantly less than the cost of new water projects currently being undertaken in SEQ", it said.

"It's very viable from the point of view of water and an economic point of view," Mr Turnbull said.
...

See - Beattie to feel pressure over Traveston.

Also see - Dam the neighbours.