Recycled water poll - the results say it all ...
Excerpt from ABC News:
Recycled water opponents' poll backs position
A poll conducted in Brisbane has found more than 90 per cent of those who responded oppose drinking recycled water.
A group against the State Government's plan to pump recycled water into the Wivenhoe Dam distributed 400,000 voting forms and booklets outlining their position across Brisbane earlier this year.
More than 6,000 residents responded, voting via fax, email or post.
Campaign organiser and Toowoomba City Councillor Snow Manners says the State Government should reconsider its plan.
"People are resoundingly against purified sewage in their drinking water," he said.
The State Government scrapped a planned south-east Queensland poll on the introduction of recycled water into drinking supplies in January.
Mr Manners says the poll suggests a compulsory plebiscite would find most residents are against the idea.
"Premier Beattie obviously has the same figures in front of him as we have," he said.
"That is the reason he cancelled the proposed March 17 vote."
Toowoomba residents voted against a proposal to add recycled water to the city's water supply in a referendum last July.
"This figure is fairly consistent with the opinion that was measured in Toowoomba," Mr Manners said.
"People now realise that they've been lied to.
"They've been lied to about Singapore, lied to about London, they've been lied to about public opinion on the issue, they've been lied to about the scienific research and the safety of it."
Mr Manners says the group will now step up its campaign ahead of the Federal election.
"We're going to make sure it's not a hidden agenda in the Federal election," he said.
"Malcolm Turnbull has to make a policy about urban water supplies, as does Kevin Rudd."
The ABC has contacted Deputy Premier Anna Bligh's office for a response but is yet to receive one.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 6:58 AM
3 Comments:
6,000 replies out of 400,000 distributed leaflets ... so only 1.5% of people felt strongly enough to respond, that has to be at least as meaningful statistic as the claimed 90% naysayers.
Putting it as "1.35% of people surveyed don't want recycled water" doesn't imply quite the same mandate as 90% does it?
Lies, damn lies and statistics...
9:05 PM, May 15, 2007
Funny how in countries with voluntary voting in government elections no-one says - 'well x% didn't vote so it doesn't count'.
Even with the Toowoomba referendum, no-one mentioned the 20% who didn't vote (although it was compulsory) and call for a recount.
The poll was a voluntary poll. There was an equal opportunity for those core supporters of Premier Beattie and his plans to introduce recycled water for drinking to express their strong approval of his plans.
But they didn't.
Was it a conclusive poll?
No.
Is it a pretty good indicator of public feeling in SEQ?
Yes.
The result reflects the results of most university studies to date on the acceptability of recycled water (although 90% was a little high - normally the response is around 70-80%.
10:08 PM, May 15, 2007
Regardless it is still one of the biggest polls around - normally TV Channels are happy with 1500 to 2000 - so the result has merit - people actually bothered to get a stamp on a letter to send in the vote - Yes as well as No
11:56 PM, May 15, 2007
Post a Comment
<< Home