Dr Khan on Toowoomba Water Futures ...

Excerpt from Canberra Times article reflecting on the Toowoomba water debate:

Toowoomba's rejection of recycled water has been criticised as ill-informed and the result of a fear campaign exaggerating health risks. Khan was involved in the public debate as a supporter of water recycling schemes but says it's wrong to portray Toowoomba residents ''as a bunch of Luddites incapable of accepting scientific fact.''

He argues the major factor for many No voters in Toowoomba had ''little to do with any suggestion that there may be something fundamentally wrong with the concept of planned potable water recycling.''

What scuppered the scheme was lack of community consultation and ''a perceived unwillingness'' of the council to consider alternative water management options.

''These factors left the community feeling disempowered and generated suspicion of the council's motivation,'' he writes.

''There are many lessons to be learned from Toowoomba. If we dont take them seriously, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes. Observing people in the media and on this blog lashing out at Toowoomba residents for being stupid, naive and irrational is not encouraging.''

See - Khan on Toowoomba.