Outgoing Mayor lying until the bitter end ...

Toowoomba's outgoing Mayor will do anything and say anything to try to commit Toowoomba residents to drinking recycled water before she leaves Toowoomba and heads to Tasmania next March.

Excerpt from the Australian (annotated):

Residents again face recycled water

31 August 2007

It turned the stomachs of most Toowoomba residents just a year ago, but drinking their own recycled sewage is back on the agenda for the water-deprived city.

[What turned more stomachs was the bullying approach of the outgoing Mayor and the failure to consult with the community.]

The local council is again seeking millions of dollars in funding from the federal and Queensland governments to build a wastewater recycling plant.

Alternative sources of water have failed and despite recent rain, dam levels are worryingly low, the council says.

[Toowoomba City Council says alternatives have failed. They are referring to the Wetalla bore fiasco - see - Bore Wars. The Council has not examined the other options. A new regional Council will.]

Public concern about drinking recycled water had eased since a toilet-to-tap fear campaign scuttled Toowoomba's plans in a July referendum last year, Mayor Di Thorley said yesterday.

[Put it to a vote and see.]

But anti-recycling campaigners are ready for a fight. "We have the capacity to fight and win -- and we are prepared to make this an issue during the federal election campaign," Citizens Against Drinking Sewage founder Rosemary Morley said.

The southeast Queensland city would be much better off producing its own recycled water than relying on recycled sewage pumped in from Brisbane, which is the other alternative, Ms Thorley said.

[The outgoing Mayor fails to disclose that a stand alone recycled water plant in Toowoomba would not produce sufficent recycled water to make it viable.]

The council voted seven to two on Tuesday night to investigate funding sources for a stand-alone waste water recycling plant.

Under the resurrected plan, treated waste water would be pumped to one of the town's reservoirs, Cooby Dam, and then treated again before being piped to homes.

Ms Thorley will today meet Queensland Deputy Premier Anna Bligh to assess the Beattie Government's view on the resurrection of the scheme.

She has already contacted federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull and is awaiting a response.

"If there is no support, the council will not consider the option any further," she said.

"The costs have probably gone up $30 million since we first looked at the option, to around $90 million."

[More misleading information from the outgoing Mayor. She has no idea what it would cost. First they told you $68 million. Then they said costs had gone up to $72 million, then they said $100 million and now it's back to $90 million. Any proposal would need to be independently costed - the original proposal never was - no-one will accept the Council's word on what it would cost.]

Brisbane will become the first Australian city to use recycled sewage for drinking by the end of next year, with recycled water to be pumped to Wivenhoe Dam through a $1.7 billion western corridor pipeline, the biggest project of its kind in Australia. Toowoomba will get recycled water from that pipeline in about three years.

[Any pipeline from Wivenhoe is not scheduled to be built before 2011-2012.]

To pump water from Wivenhoe Dam over the range to Toowoomba would be more expensive than treating water locally, Ms Thorley said. "This would be a cheaper option with the same result."

[Will the Toowoomba City Council get the stand alone plant independently costed? No - it's something they avoided at all costs last time around. They don't want the proposal independently costed because it would reveal its true cost and how much of a white elephant it would be - it would be a financial millstone around Toowoomba ratepayers' necks for generations.]

Although 70mm of rain fell over the local catchment recently, dam levels rose just 0.1 per cent because the dry earth soaked up most of the water.

See - Toowoomba recycled water - outgoing Mayor lies again.

Toowoomba City Council's secret bore consultants ...

... why can't they be named?

For over 2 years, Toowoomba City Council has dealt with water issues while heavily cloaked in secrecy.

You will recall the initial Water Futures National Water Commission funding application was cobbled together in separate secret backroom meetings.

Meetings to decide the amount of ratepayers' money allocated to the Yes campaign were also conducted behind closed doors.

Now it turns out that Toowoomba City Council is using secret bore consultants, with the Council refusing to name the consultants it used on the error-prone bore hole at Wetalla.

Last evening, WIN News viewers were able to watch Council employee Allan Kleinschmidt taking a bullet on TV for his bosses, claiming that testing the water quality would have been unusual - with most industry sources saying testing water quality would have been standard.

His explanation:

"We followed the advice of our consultants who are the experts" - we just can't name them.

See - WIN News - Council bungle.

Why the secrecy?

What are they hiding this time ...

Bore war continues ...

Excerpt from WIN News:

Bore investigation

30 August 2007

Discovery

It's been revealed drillers of a test hole at the Wetalla Bore were not directed to test for water quality.

Toowoomba City Council now under fire for refusing to spend the initial $300,000, instead sinking the now unusuable $2.4 million dollar bore.

See - Toowoomba City Council - hopelessly incompetent or corrupt.

Sink a bore hole for the specific purpose of finding drinking quality water but don't test for water quality?

What idiot would do that?

By 8 October 2006, a 6 inch test hole had been drilled to 635m.

Why was the decision then made to drill to 657m with a width varying from 9-26 inches?

Without testing water quality?

For what purpose?

It's perhaps easy to label this as more incompetence from the Toowoomba City Council (just another example to add to the ever growing pile) but one suspects there is more to this than mere incompetence ...

Toowoomba's bore war - the battle for honesty and transparency ...

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Manners digging for detail

28 August 2007

One Toowoomba councillor wants copies of the documentation on the city's failed $2.4 million Great Artesian Basin bore at Wetalla.

Tests on the bore have revealed that it's too salty and not fit for human consumption.

Snow Manners has asked the council chief executive officer Phil Spencer for a copy of the water quality test, the driller's log, the date the bore was flow tested and details of that testing.

"The announcement of the salt content of this bore coincides with a push by the mayor and six councillors to revisit purified sewage as a water solution," he said.

"I have a duty to the community as chair of Strategy and Governance and I need to have full and accurate information when considering water supply issues."

Last year's water poll decisively rejected a Wetalla wastewater treatment plan as a source of drinking water.

The mayoral candidate for the Toowoomba Regional Council wants the new council to decide the future water sources.

"With council elections less than 30 weeks away and with the amalgamation process proceeding, I think it is best to note the Toowoomba Water Task Force Interim Report and the Drought Management Strategy until after the elections are held for the region," Cr Manner said.

Exclusive photos - outgoing Mayor's new pub ...

For all the photos - see - Outgoing Mayor's pub photos.

Or see Elders link - Outgoing Mayor's pub photos - and pop up photo link.

If the links fail - put Lady Franklin Hotel Franklin into www.google.com.au and looked at the cached version.

It's official - outgoing Mayor heads to Tasmania ...

The outgoing Mayor said rumours at the time of the recycled water referendum of her moving to Tasmania were scurrilous.

Turns out they were spot on.

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Toowoomba Mayor Dianne Thorley has bought that quiet hotel in Tasmania she always dreamt of.

The hotel, overlooking the Huon Valley and the Huon River, was advertised for $650,000 walk-in, walk-out. The half-hectare site has a main bar, lounge bar, dining room, kitchen, amenity rooms, stock rooms and a three-unit motel block.

Cr Thorley's Cottesloe Street home and Toowoomba investment properties are for sale.

"I don't know how many times I have to say it - after March 15, I am not here," Cr Thorley said.

See - Outgoing Mayor buys into Tasmania.

Commiserations to the residents of Franklin and the Huon Valley for drawing the short straw ...

Bore war - SMS messages ...

A few interesting ones from the Chronicle (28 August):

- Who is to be sacked for wasting $2 mill of ratepayers money on rs bore that was not properly tested?

- Di wanting to spend more ratepayers money on recycled sewage. Is she going to supply the whole shire or just use their money.

- Kev Flanagan said on radio Sun pm the bore cost 2.4 million. I cannot imagine how Di or Jo could explain to us poor ratepayers how this could be.

Memo to Canberra - can you refund our pizza and balloon money ...

You know that things in the Toowoomba City Council have reached new heights of bizarre conduct when some of the Councillors think they are justified in asking Canberra to refund the 'pizza and balloon' money the six Yes Councillors blew as part of the Yes referendum campaign.

Remember, over $430,000 was spent on the Yes campaign with nothing allocated to the No campaign.

A better solution would be to request that the six Yes Councillors refund their portion of the funding - that would be a bit over $70,000 each.

Excerpt from the Chronicle (annotated):

Retro request

29 August 2007

If Prime Minister John Howard is offering refunds on money spent on local government reform referendums, Toowoomba City Council thinks it's opportune to try to cash-in retrospectively.

Council does want to hold a referendum, instead it wants a refund on the $300,000-plus spent on the city's controversial water poll last year. [Actually, over $430,000 - how soon the Councillors forget.]

Last night, Cr Sue Englart, supported by Cr Michele Alroe, received unanimous support to request "any funds which would have been available to Toowoomba for a referendum be diverted to defray the cost of the poll" that council had to have as part of the Toowoomba Water Futures project.

It might seem surprising that it has escaped the notice of the quick-witted Crs Englart and Alroe but the Prime Minister isn't offering funding for a referendum on recycled water.

He's offering to fund any referendum which seeks voters' views on Council amalgamations. And only doing so to gain an edge over KRudd at the expense of Premier Beattie.

No harm asking though ....

Water Futures Yes campaign cost us $434,646.03 ...

Given the Toowoomba City Council's refund claim to the Federal government, it's worth revisiting how much the Yes campaign cost Toowoomba ratepayers.

Remember, the six Yes Councillors voted to spend your money in this manner.

Remember that at election time ...

Water Futures Yes campaign cost us $434,646.03

Final numbers are in.

The Water Futures Yes campaign cost Toowoomba ratepayers $434,646.03.

This amount includes $28,848.04 of Mr Flanagan's salary which was costed to Water Futures during his secondment to assist the ill-fated campaign.

This amount also includes 100% of the salary costs for the campaign period for Alan Kleinschmidt and Barry Crook which indicates they worked on nothing else during the Yes campaign.

Mr Flanagan's costs represent 80% of his salary during the Yes campaign - indicating he spent 80% of his time on the Yes campaign.

See- Council committee meetings - 16 and 17 January 2007 - Item 25 - page 141.

This amount relates just to the failed Yes campaign and excludes expenditure of ratepayers' funds on the Water Futures project before the referendum was announced.

All up about around $1 million was wasted on Thorley's grand vision ...

Grey water use will curtail water recycling ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Diversion downside

29 August 2007

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is opposing a water-saving plan because it would save too much water.

Newman said Labor’s plan to subsidise household greywater systems would prevent inflows to the $2.4 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water project, placing it in jeopardy.

As part of his electoral platform, Labor Lord Mayoral candidate Greg Rowell has promised a $200 rebate for residents installing greywater systems.

But Newman said between 60 and 70 million litres of greywater a day would be taken from the western corridor recycled water project, designed to top up Brisbane’s dam levels.

‘‘It would completely undermine the scheme,’’ he said.

See - Choose one or the other - not both.

Queensland: Beattie-ful one day: undemocratic the next ...

See - Courier Mail - Amalgamation opponents target Rudd.

UNSW, the Official Secrets Act and an authoritarian foreign regime ...

The University of NSW has founds itself in the middle of a battle with the Sydney Morning Herald over its decision not to release documents under freedom-of-information laws.

The Sydney Morning Herald refers to Singapore as an authoritarian foreign regime ranking 146th out of 168 countries for media freedom.

We all remember Singapore as that stellar example of community consultation for potable reuse.

Seems the Toowoomba City Council focused more effort on their trips to Singapore learning about the authoritarian regime aspects of Singapore than learning about potable reuse.

Excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald:

Uni used Singapore laws to stop FOI bid

29 August 2007

The University of NSW has used the secrecy laws of an authoritarian foreign regime to justify its decision not to release documents under freedom-of-information laws.

The university quoted the Official Secrets Act of Singapore in its refusal to release information about its failed UNSW Asia campus, which collapsed in June, stranding nearly 150 students and costing the university millions in compensation and lost revenue.

The university's freedom-of-information officer refused to release correspondence between the vice-chancellor, Fred Hilmer, and Singapore's Economic Development Board partly because it "may fall within the scope of the Official Secrets Act", a draconian piece of legislation that has been used to prosecute journalists, government officials and economists.

"Section 5 of the OSA makes it clear that disclosure of communications entrusted by a person holding office under the government to any person other than the person that is entrusted in confidence or authorised by the person holding office under the government will be guilty of an offence," the university's letter to the Herald said.

"In effect, the Singapore [Official Secrets Act] reinforces that the communications between UNSW and the Singapore EDB are confidential material and release of that material would result in disclosure of confidential communications made between UNSW and the Singapore EDB."

A spokeswoman said yesterday that the university was not relying on the Official Secrets Act in declining to release the documents, but indicating the degree of confidentiality the Singapore Government attached to them.

Reporters Without Borders ranks Singapore 146th out of 168 countries for media freedom.

The university was criticised for its decision to set up a campus in Singapore because of its harsh laws on public comment and dubious record on academic freedom. It replied at the time that the Singapore Government had assured it that academic freedom would be protected.

The university pulled out of its Singapore campus after just one semester, with the bill expected to climb into the tens of millions, including staff payouts, student compensation, contract termination penalties, lost revenue and legal claims.

The university had already spent $17.5 million when it decided to close UNSW Asia, but lost $15 million by not reaching expected enrolment numbers. It is wrangling with the Singapore Government over the liability for $13 million in grants.
...

See - UNSW in FOI wrangle.

Wetalla GAB bore - destined to leave a bad taste in voters' mouths ...

... that's the word on the street ...

Sunshine Coast - flood images ...

View images of the Sunshine Coast flood here:

- Sunshine Coast Daily - Water - plenty of water.

Beattie's recycled water survey takes a battering ...

Excerpt from Sunshine Coast Daily:

So how many did they survey on recycling?

23 August 2007

A state government survey has found that three in four Queenslanders support drinking recycled sewage water – at least that’s what premier Peter Beattie told us yesterday.

Whether Queenslanders believe him is another matter.

We were told a year ago there would be a referendum on recycled water and if it was given the thumbs up, stage two of the Traveston dam would not be needed.

But after the election the referendum was off, Mr Beattie said recycling would proceed and stage two of the dam was still on the agenda.

The government was caught out misleading the Senate Inquiry earlier this year, claiming seven people had died between Gympie and Maryborough in the 1999 floods.

In fact the fatalities had included a boogie-boarder who was swept over a weir on the Caboolture River, a man trapped by rising floodwaters in the South Pine River at Albany Creek, and a Gold Coast man who had a heart attack while clearing weeds near a swollen dam in the Currumbin Valley.

And an investigation into an National Party MP’s online poll on the Traveston dam found votes had been cast by ministerial advisers prior to the deputy premier making a statement in Parliament about the results.

So when the Premier claimed there was overwhelming support for the addition of purified recycled water to drinking suppliesshould we take him at his word?

Yesterday Mr Beattie said a survey conducted by the Queensland Water Commission last month found nearly three quarters of respondents were in favour of the government’s recycling plan.

“The survey of 1000 south-east Queenslanders conducted during July has found that 74% support the addition of purified recycled water to ensure water security,” Mr Beattie said.
“The survey was conducted across the 12 council areas currently subject to Level 5 water restrictions."

Mr Beattie said the results showed 71% of respondents on the Sunshine Coast favoured recycling – yet none of us have level 5 restrictions.

When questioned, the Queensland Water Commission said it could not specify how many Coast residents were in the survey.

However, it said the survey had been conducted throughout the entire south-east, not just the 12 council areas identified by Mr Beattie.

See - Beattie's poll not true.

Another Beattie MP in trouble ... Struthers fined over drink driving ...

See - Brisbane Times - Struthers fined.

... arrested for drink driving in a government car at 3x over the limit.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

MP drove three times over limit

25 August 2007

A Queensland government MP has been caught with a blood alcohol reading of more than three times the legal limit while driving a government car.

Karen Struthers, the Member for Algester, and parliamentary secretary to the health minister, had a blood alcohol reading of .16 when pulled over by police last night.

Ms Struthers today issued a statement claiming she had been drinking at the home of family and friends and "foolishly" offered to drive one of them, a ministerial staff member, to a nearby taxi rank.

Ms Struthers will plead guilty when she fronts court on Tuesday for breaching the .05 limit.

"My driver's licence has been suspended automatically until then, and I have handed the keys in to the deputy premier (Anna Bligh)," Ms Struthers said.

See - Drunk MP caught.

Also see - MP Karen Struthers 'a bloody idiot'.

Ms Struthers, who was previously parliamentary secretary to Premier Peter Beattie on multicultural affairs, has made four speeches to Parliament on the dangers of drink-driving.
...

Ms Struthers spoke in Parliament on May 23 on the Transport Operations Legislation Amendment Bill.

"Given the success of drink-driving laws, more people are being responsible when it comes to drinking and driving," she said.

"They are leaving their cars at home and seeking out public transport or taxis.

"We have been putting a lot of money into drink-driving campaigns . . . some people are very irresponsible."

On February 20, Ms Struthers supported legislation to "end the carnage" on Queensland roads.

She said some politicians were young drivers in an era when "many drove with a belly full of alcohol".

"Thankfully, we have come a long way . . . many years of good campaigns such as the drink-driving campaigns have all played their part."

Wetalla GAB bore - how much did it really cost ...

Toowoomba City Council under pressure to justify its $2.4 million cost blow out on the Wetalla GAB bore.

See - Cr Manners asks tough questions - Council must respond.

Amalgamation referendum date ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

October 20 is to be announced by federal Local Government Minister Jim Lloyd as the likely date for plebiscites on Queensland council amalgamations.

The Local Government Association of Queensland has proposed the date, but the Australian Electoral Commission will make the final decision.

See - Merger vote date.

Outgoing Mayor's influence waning ...

In a clear sign that the outgoing Mayor's bullying grip on Toowoomba is almost over, Jondaryan Mayor Peter Taylor will head up the transitional committee for the amalgamation of Toowoomba with the surrounding shires.

Excerpt from WIN News:

Local Govt Meeting Begins

27 August 2007

Peter Taylor the man for the top job.

Jondaryan Mayor Peter Taylor today fought off opposition from his Clifton counterpart to land the high-profile position of Transitional Committee chairperson.

It could be seen as the launching pad for his bid to become Mayor of the Toowoomba Supershire.

See - Toowoomba's future looking brighter.

Rains add 5 months to dam supply - so far ...

Excerpt from Brisbane Times:

Rains add five months to supply

27 August 2007

Heavy rain across south-east Queensland has added almost five months' supply to the region's dams, but is likely to have caused millions of dollars in damage.

SEQWater today said the drought-stricken region's three catchments were expected to increase to a combined 20 per cent capacity late today or overnight following the best winter rainfall in eight years.

Inflows over the weekend, largely into Somerset Dam via the Stanley River, added almost 49,000 megalitres to the combined storages of Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams.

The current combined capacity of all three dams is currently 19.94 per cent - an increase of three per cent since Friday.

The combined capacity was last at 20 per cent in April.

SEQWater operations manager Rob Drury said the downpours had delivered an extra 4.5 months' supply to the storages.
...

See - Rains add to dam supplies.

Email your views to Minister Macfarlane ...

If you wish to send an email to Minister Macfarlane and give him your views on recycling the outgoing Mayor's recycled water plant in Toowoomba, email here - Ian.Macfarlane.MP@aph.gov.au.

Council amalgamations - fat cat salaries for mayors ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Fat cat salaraies for mayors

27 August 2007

Mayors of Queensland's biggest future councils would be Australia's best paid under a remuneration model from councils' peak body.

If adopted, top-tier council mayors would receive more than $200,000, with additional perks such as cars, phones and out-of-pocket expenses determined at the discretion of individual councils.

The Local Government Association of Queensland this month sent a submission to the yet-to-be-established Local Government Remuneration Tribunal outlining their case on councillors' pay and conditions.

Under the model, the tribunal would categorise Queensland's future 73 councils on a scale of one to six depending on their size and population.

Category one mayors would be paid the same as a State Government cabinet minister – currently $204,884 – while second-level mayors would be paid 80 per cent of the rate ($163,907).

Councillors in the top tier would be paid half the rate, $102,442.
...

See - Amalgamation fat cats.

Meanwhile former Minister Merri Rose is due to be released ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Ex-MP out of jail this week

26 August 2007

Disgraced former Labor MP Merri Rose will walk free from jail on Thursday after serving three months for trying to blackmail Premier Peter Beattie into giving her a lucrative public service job.

Prison sources have confirmed Rose, 52, will be released from the Numinbah prison farm in the Gold Coast hinterland in four days' time.

See - Merri Rose to be released.

Drought breaks - Noosa on flood alert ...

See - Courier Mail - Noosa on flood alert.

Macfarlane backflip potential ...

... risking 32,330 votes and re-election hopes.

Lots of rumours swirling around Toowoomba about Minister Macfarlane and what he might say or do about Toowoomba's water source issues.

Some of it no doubt being pushed by the outgoing Mayor's PR spin team.

Their basic problem is that the failed recycled water project still won't work. Trying to coerce the Minister into statements of support and funding might work if there was a viable, costed project. But the Toowoomba City Council doesn't have one ...

Excerpt from ABC News (annotated):

Toowoomba revisiting water recycling

24 August 2007

A water recycling plant is back on the agenda for Toowoomba on southern Queensland's Darling Downs.

The federal Member for Groom and federal Industry, Tourism and Resources Minister, Ian Macfarlane, will meet with mayor Dianne Thorley this afternoon to discuss the possibility of a plant for the city.

Mr Macfarlane says an advanced treatment plant and a new dam are essential elements in the solution to Toowoomba's water crisis.

He says community attitudes on recycled water have changed since the proposal was put to a referendum last year.

[Really - perhaps this year's Federal election will be a referendum of recycled water as well.]

"The opportunity that was lost in the previous debate was that the community weren't involved in the discussions, didn't have an understanding of what was being proposed and therefore rejected it," he said.

[What gives anyone the idea that anyone in the Toowoomba City Council would consider community consultation this time around?]

"I think that the lesson to be learned out of that is that solving the water problems for a community involves the whole community, in fact, involves the whole region."

[The failed recycled water plant is not a regional solution - it doesn't deal with downstream irrigators and wouldn't provide sufficient recycled water for Toowoomba - it is a white elephant.]

See - Macfarlane backflip would risk seat.

If you wish to send an email to Minister Macfarlane and give him your views, email here - Ian.Macfarlane.MP@aph.gov.au.

You can also email this article to him by clicking on the email post button below.

Let him know your views ...

Record rains for Sunshine Coast ...

Excerpt from Courier Mail:

From drought to flooding rains

24 August 2007

An Energex crew has been plucked from a flooded creek and the State Emergency Service has made three other flood boat rescues after up to 632mm of rain swamped the Sunshine Coast.

The Energex crew was rescued by canoe this morning after their vehicle became stuck in floodwaters near Kin Kin.

SES boats were used in three other rescues overnight.

See - Record rains.

Beattie Minister appears in court ...

See - Ex-Minister Purcell has his day in court.

GAB - Toowoomba City Council slips up ...

... inadvertently gives the game away.

You've heard the Toowoomba City Council official line.

Toowoomba's dams are running out - we can't rely on groundwater - not reliable - not enough.

Well, that's the line when they're trying to justify things like reviving the failed Water Futures project.

When the Council is trying to justify water use, it's a completely different story:

The total usage of non-potable water for the entire The Chronicle Home Garden Competition will equate to 1.05 ML. This is only 3% of what Toowoomba residents are currently using per week.

Fifteen of the 30 entrants in the 2007 competition are utilising private bore water meaning that this amount of 1.05 ML is only notional with the total water usage likely to be significantly less.

Toowoomba’s bore water supplies are drawn from the Great Artesian Basin which contains 64,900 million megalitres of water. The Carnival of Flowers bore water use constitutes approx .00006% of the Great Artesian Basin water supply.

See - GAB - there's plenty of water.

That's on the Carnival of Flowers website. What's the bet that gets revised before too long?

So the Council is happy to state that the GAB water supply is plentiful when it comes to justifying water use during the Carnival of Flowers but if you ask about Toowoomba's ability to rely on groundwater supplies to get us through the drought, you'll get a completely different response.

You can't have it both ways ...

Anna Bligh's recycled water scare ...

... someone asks her to drink some of the first Bundamba Plant recycled water in Parliament.

She refused.

Huge PR blunder.

Maybe Anna suffers from the YUK factor.

See - Water Futures blog - Anna refuses recycled water.

Excerpt from Hansard:

Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure) (9.51 am): Today I have good news. This is south-east Queensland’s first recycled water.

Opposition members: Drink it! Drink it! Drink it! Down, down, down!

See - Hansard - 23 August 2007.

What was her concern?

Premier Beattie earlier refer to it by his pet name 'purified recycled water'.

"Purified recycled water will be delivered to Swanbank Power Station by the end of the month, as promised."

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Queensland's Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister presented Parliament with the first bottle of purified recycled water from the new water grid yesterday - but refused to drink it.

See - Recycled water not for drinking ... yet.

You can bet she'll be sipping on bottled water in Parliament House while forcing SEQ residents to gulp down the recycled stuff ...

Kevin (Wolfdene) Rudd - a question of lust … for power ...

Interesting SMH opinion piece on KRudd.

The [strip club] story simply adds pixels to an image emerging of Rudd of an unscrupulously opportunistic chameleon. That he will do and be anything if it will further his ambitions, no matter how out of character or inappropriate...

See - KRudd's lust for power.

Beattie's embarrassing amalgamation backdown ...

Legislative backdown explanation:

On 19 April 2007, Parliament determined there was a need for structural reform of local government to create stronger councils with greater capacity to deliver services and infrastructure to Queensland communities.

The Local Government Reform Implementation Act 2007 established new structural arrangements for Queensland local government. The Act also made provision to prevent local governments from conducting polls about local government reform matters.

Objective of the Bill

The primary objective of the Bill is to remove provisions which prevent local governments from conducting polls about local government reform.

Oops ...

The Great 'Greener Pastures' Sale ...

Outgoing Mayor's property ad - you won't believe it ...

This is the actual wording used in the advertisement for the outgoing Mayor's properties.

You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it.

The owner wants them sold as it is time to move to greener pastures !

See - Outgoing Mayor's greener pastures sale.

Yes, it actually says that.

Almost as amusing is the ad for the house:

... large garage at the rear along with a recently installed water tank completes the perfect family home.

(So much for leading by example.)

Alternatively you may have the opportunity to use the land for other special purposes on application to the local council!!

Amazing ...

Beattie's water asset grab to strip revenues ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Dam takeover to hit Councils

23 August 2007

A confidential report warns that the State Government's takeover of dams will be a risky venture that robs councils of revenue and sends rates soaring.

The report, by PricewaterhouseCoopers, says the revenues of Brisbane, Caloundra, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Caboolture councils will be hard hit.

It says a water grab will jeopardise the financial sustainability of some councils and create a legal minefield if they challenge the takeover in the courts.
...

See - Beattie's privatisation push.

Premier Beattie - would you rather drink recycled water or die of thirst ...

Another of those wonderful Beattie PR spin press releases.

This time, everyone in SEQ is so happy to drink recycled water we'd give up drinking anything else.

Excerpt from Beattie spin team press release:

PREMIER WELCOMES RESEARCH SHOWING SOUTH EAST QUEENSLANDERS STRONGLY SUPPORT PURIFIED RECYCLED WATER

22 August 2007

Premier Peter Beattie today welcomed new research by the Queensland Water Commission which shows South East Queenslanders continue to strongly support the addition of purified recycled water to our drinking supply.

"The survey of 1000 South East Queenslanders conducted during July has found that 74 per cent of those surveyed support the addition of purified recycled water to ensure water security," Mr Beattie said.

"That's exactly the same level of support as when the survey was conducted in December last year."
...

With the rather interesting questions asked that 'showed' everyone was in favour of Council amalgamations, you have to wonder what questions were asked of the 1000 respondents.

Just another Beattie PR stunt.

He wouldn't dare put the question to a referendum, yet claims he wants to use PM Howard's polling offer to poll Queenslanders on a range of issues.

If the Premier is looking for an accurate survey of people's views on drinking recycled water, he need look no further than the results of the Toowoomba Regional Council elections next March ...

When failure pleases an engineer ...

Always good to see an engineer pleased with the results of his work.

But this was a little odd.

On WIN News last night, Council's Engineering Head looked quite pleased with the salty results of the first GAB bore at Wetalla.

See - Initial Wetalla GAB bore may be salty.

Hang on.

Isn't this the guy in charge of finding water for Toowoomba?

Isn't this the guy who should be examining all options?

Why would be pleased with the initial bore being high in salt content?

Why indeed ...

Did you hear the one about the drunken Christian socialist who walked into a strip joint ...

See - So just who is the real Kevin Rudd?

Deputy Mayor Ramia goes quarrying ...

Listen to Deputy Mayor Ramia lay down the law:

Ramia - "You're going to be in for a very tough and rough ride".

Only 7 months left of Deputy Mayor Ramia ...

Deputy Mayor Ramia is in today's Chronicle bleating about how there is only 1 year's water left in the dams - then we'll be "virtually relying" on water from bores.

He then gets in a bit of scaremongering on the GAB bore - it's got air in it.

See - Free from Ramia in 7 months.

Due to evaporation, it is a sensible strategy to use dam water in preference to groundwater sources. Toowoomba can if necessary rely on groundwater supplies to get the city through the drought.

Then there's always the other options that could be considered but hell would freeze over and Toowoomba people would die of thirst before this current Council considered anything other than the failed Water Futures recycled water plant.

You do have to wonder why!

Also, the Deputy Mayor Ramia has missed the big point.

There may only be one year's supply of water left in the dams (assuming no rain) but Toowoomba only has 7 months to the next Council election when we will wave goodbye to the Deputy Mayor and his threatening phone calls and scaremongering.

Not a moment too soon ...

Turnbull and Garrett - head to head ...

Minister Turnbull and MP Garrett will engage in a debate and take questions from the public this Sunday, August 26, at 10.30am in Brisbane.

During the debate/panel discussion, the environment minister and his shadow will address sustainability issues in southeast Queensland.

Where: QCGU Theatre, The Queensland Conservatorium, Southbank.

When: Sunday Aug 26th, 10.30am to 12pm.

See - Turnbull and Garrett - head to head.

Toowoomba City Council alienates 32,330 voters ...

... decides it's time to recycle its failed Water Futures funding application.

Toowoomba City Council tries the closest thing it knows to funding a sequel to a cheap B grade movie which bombed at the box office first time out.

By trying to revive the failed Water Future project, the Toowoomba City Council will achieve the one thing they should be doing anything to avoid:

- to keep the Water Futures issue as the No. 1 election issue in March 2008.

The next Council election will be another chance for Toowoomba (and the expanded region) to vote on whether they want the Toowoomba City Council to build a recycled water plant.

Not content with the referendum belting they received in July 2006 and the overwhelming support for Cr Manners at the subsequent by-election, the Yes Councillors seem to be wanting to try their luck once again.

Brave, very brave ...

Another Beattie Minister to appear in court ...

This time it's former Minister Pat Purcell who is scheduled to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday on two charges of assaulting public servants.

See - Brisbane Times - Now it's Purcell's turn.

Qld government considers water options ...

Excerpt from Brisbane Times:

Qld businesses offer water solutions

20 August 2007

Supertankers and desalinating water from the Brisbane River are among the options being considered by the Queensland government to tackle the ongoing drought.

The schemes are among 28 emergency options proposed to deal with the worst drought on record.

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said firms such as GE Water, Thiess and Sumitomo were among the major companies offering the emergency supply solutions.

The proposals would provide on average up to 125 megalitres of drinking water a day.

"To put that in perspective, south-east Queensland has been using about 550 million litres a day under level-five restrictions," Ms Bligh said.

"We'll do whatever it takes - this government will not let the south-east run out of water.

"We can anchor large-scale barges along the Brisbane River to pump desalinated water directly into the system. Or we can have water delivered by supertankers."

The projects will be shortlisted by the end of the month.
...

See - Qld government - we'll consider anything.

Poll results lead to Beattie backdown ...

Premier Beattie sees devastating polls results and bows to Federal Labor pressure over amalgamation ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Merger backlash against Rudd

20 August 2007

Queensland ratepayers have vowed vent their fury over forced council mergers on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd at the upcoming federal election.

Four in five respondents to a Courier-Mail online poll said Premier Peter Beattie's decision to slash local council numbers had made them less likely to vote for the Labor Party.

Almost 5000 voters overwhelmingly opposed the changes, which will slash the number of shires by more than half next March.

Mr Beattie yesterday said the mergers would not cost Labor a vote at the upcoming election, likely in October or November.

"That's up to the electors of Queensland but I've always had the view that they would hold me personally responsible," Mr Beattie said. The Premier has drawn criticism from Mr Rudd and Prime Minister John Howard over his threats to sack councils that held referendums on the issue.

But Mr Beattie has dramatically backed down, admitting he "stuffed up".

Labor needs to win six federal seats in Queensland to take government. Key seats affected by the council changes include Herbert, Longman, Petrie and Flynn.

From 4169 respondents in affected councils, 3388 said the issue made them less likely to vote Labor. In the must-win seat of Petrie, where Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro holds a 7.4 per cent margin, almost 70 per cent of respondents from Redcliffe said they had been turned off Labor.

Howard Government Minister Mal Brough's margin in Longman also may be boosted courtesy of the issue.

Noosa residents were the most vocal about the changes, with 98 per cent against their merger with Maroochy and Caloundra.

See - Poll results lead to Beattie backdown.

Howard-Beattie face-off - Beattie admits defeat ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

I stuffed up on amalgamation polls - Beattie

19 August 2007

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie admits he "stuffed up" by legislating to ban polls on forced local government mergers.

But he does not believe the issue will cost federal Labor votes.

He said the amalgamations would still go ahead because a majority of Queenslanders supported them, but "we should have given people the vote".

The State Government yesterday backed down from its threat to sack and fine councillors who ran polls on local government amalgamations.

See - Just another Beattie backflip.

BBC News - KRudd - Australia's UN observer - first stop - strip clubs...

Excerpt from BBC News:

Rudd apology for strip club visit

19 August 2007

The leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party has apologised for visiting a strip club in New York while representing his country at the UN.

Kevin Rudd went to the club in Manhattan in September 2003 during a visit to the city as a UN observer.

Mr Rudd has released a statement apologising for any offence which his actions may have caused.

He is currently riding high in the polls, with a national election expected before the end of the year.

A bookish intellectual with a strong Christian faith, Kevin Rudd has a slightly dull, even nerdy public persona.

So many Australians will have been surprised to read of his drunken, late-night visit to a New York strip club.

In September 2003 Mr Rudd had travelled to New York to attend the United Nations as a representative of the Australian government.

During his stay he was out for dinner with a New York-based journalist and a fellow Labor Party MP, after which they went on to a gentleman's club called Scores.

According to the Sunday Telegraph - one of Australia's leading tabloids - Mr Rudd was then asked to leave because of inappropriate behaviour.

In a statement released to reporters, the Labor leader has confirmed he visited the club but cannot recall precisely what happened on the night because he had too much to drink.

He apologised if he had caused any offence and said that he told his wife at the time.

Mr Rudd became the Labor leader in December last year and has enjoyed almost stratospheric approval ratings ever since.

It is unclear if this revelation will damage his chances of becoming prime minister in the election expected before the end of the year.

But in a country which once elected a champion beer drinker as its prime minister - Labor's Bob Hawke - many think it might actually enhance his chances of success.

See - KRudd's $18,000 strip club visit.

Also see - The Age - Inside the strip club that lured St Kevin.

Water Futures 2.0 - the $100m question ...

Mr Flanagan has put his reputation on the line.

See - Council Committee meetings - 21-22 August 2007.

In his view, the failed Water Futures recycled water plant can be revived and built for somewhere between $90-100 million.

Is he right?

Seems unlikely as he's used some pretty huge assumptions once again.

His number is based on: "Recent preliminary costings carried out by consultants under the SEQ Regional Water Supply Strategy Study indicates that a stand alone PRW Plant in Toowoomba would cost in the order of $90 to $100M."

This assumes no evaporation ponds.

Mr Flanagan explains:

"Given Council's negotiations to supply effluent to New Acland Coal Mine are proceeding, costs of a pipeline to Acland would be met by NAC."

But aren't New Acland Coal interested in waste bore water from the Oakey bore field?

Five bores with a combined allocation of 750 megalitres are being assessed while discussions are being held with New Acland Mine to take the salty wastewater for industrial use.

See - Oakey bores to put further nail in Water Futures coffin.

They have previously stated:

"We have yet to agree with Toowoomba City Council as to the final make up of the Class A+ quality recycled water ... however it is our understanding that the water would be of the highest quality standard for recycled water."

Doesn't sound like the RO waste stream.

And where's the commitment from New Acland Coal to take the RO waste stream and pay for the pipeline?

One of Mr Flanagan's big assumptions.

The reference to: "Recent preliminary costings carried out by consultants under the SEQ Regional Water Supply Strategy Study indicates that a stand alone PRW Plant in Toowoomba would cost in the order of $90 to $100M." is interesting.

It's costing Premier Beattie over $2 billion to build 3 (larger) recycled water plants and associated pipelines but Mr Flanagan's will only cost around $100 million (assuming no evaporation ponds).

That must be a very interesting preliminary costing.

Perhaps he'd like to share it with the ratepayers and allow some independent costing. That seems unlikely - during Water Futures 1.0 any mention of independent costing of the recycled water proposal sent Council scurrying into their bunker.

Mr Flanagan also suggests asking the Federal and State governments for $40 million each with Toowoomba ratepayers to pay $20 million.

He notes that funding from the Federal government will be difficult because their funds are almost fully committed.

He fails to note that the State government has said on numerous occasions that they are not interested in Toowoomba building a stand alone recycled water plant. Why would they give any funding in that case?

So that's $80 million in funding in doubt. And $80 million extra Toowoomba ratepayers would have to borrow (assuming the $100 million project cost is accurate and no cost overruns).

He also fails to mention the other Federal funding conditions from Water Futures 1.0:

Water Futures Toowoomba

- The Project must satisfy Queensland Government processes under the Local Government Subsidy Scheme.

- All necessary Queensland Government approvals including health and safety approvals, including the development of a health regulatory regime for indirect potable water reuse are required to be developed to cover this and any future indirect potable reuse proposals in Queensland.

- The health regime is required to be developed with regard to clause 92(i) of the National Water Initiative.

- Appropriate Gowrie-Oakey Creek system regional plans need to be prepared or existing plans modified to take into account reasonable consideration of the impact of the project on the downstream water users on Gowrie-Oakey Creek.

- A management plan for the Hampton groundwater aquifer will also be required.

So it's assumed that the Gowrie-Oakey Creek farmers and Hampton irrigators are left out - if we ignore them no-one will notice.

Another of those assumptions.

And then there's the issue of what amount of recycled water will be produced.

No comments on whether sufficient recycled water could be produced although cancelling the pipeline to the Hampton irrigators gives everyone a hint.

Ultimately, the question of whether a recycled water plant could be built for $100 million and whether it should be built should not be left to Mr Flanagan.

It should be left to the voters.

In July 2006, 62% of voters said NO.

In March 2008, voters (of the expanded region) get to have their vote once again on whether Toowoomba should proceed with a recycled water plant.

Regardless of the action taken by Councillors between now and next March, it is the voters who will ultimately decide the fate of Water Futures 2.0 ...

Water Futures revival - how the Council tries to jam a failed project on the city once again ...

Toowoomba City Council:

- will cancel the Visitor's Centre. No free ad centre for multinational recycled water companies. This is actually a plus.

- still thinks New Acland Coal will take RO waste stream and New Acland Coal will pay for the cost of pipeline. Where is the commitment? There isn't one.

- will cancel the pipeline to Hampton Irrigators - not enough recycled water so they miss out.

- will have NO testing period for the recycled water. Against the previous advice of CSIRO.

See - Council Committee Meetings - 21-22 August 2007.

Toowoomba City Council recycles Water Futures funding application ...

This Agenda item for the Council Committee meetings on 21 and 22 August 2007 is such a joke an excerpt is worthy:

Agenda Item 20

REPORT TITLE Process for Submitting Application for Funding of Purified Recycled Water Treatment Plant in Toowoomba

AUTHOR Director Engineering Services (Kevin Flanagan) - 14 August 2007

PURPOSE OF REPORT

To advise Council of a procedure for submitting an application for funding of a stand alone Purified Recycled Water Treatment Plant in Toowoomba.

CORPORATE PLAN REFERENCE

1.2 Provide ongoing support for planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the City's water and wastewater systems.

BACKGROUND

Previous Council decision 14/8/07 (Committee of the Council 7-8 August 2007 Item 38.1) -

"That the Chief Executive Officer be requested to advise Council, at a future meeting of the Committee of the Council, on the process required to make an application to the Federal Government for funding to build a purified recycled water treatment plant in Toowoomba."

ISSUES AND RESPONSES
...

2.0 PROCESS FOR A FURTHER APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR A STAND ALONE PRW PLANT IN TOOWOOMBA

Should Council wish to seek funding assistance for a stand alone PRW Plant in Toowoomba, then it would need to consider:

- Revised Project Cost
- Level of subsidy from State Government
- Level of subsidy from Commonwealth Government
- Level of TCC funding

2.1 Revised Project Cost

The original Water Futures Project was expected to cost $68M (June 2005). The project included a Visitor Information Centre, Pipelines to Acland Mine, Hampton Irrigation area, and to Cooby Dam.

The project, if it had received funding in September 2005 as was expected, competitive tenders would have been received and it is believed the project could have been delivered on time (August 2007) and on budget. However the delay and the huge water infrastructure initiatives in SEQ from late 2006 has seen large increases in project costs mainly due to a high demand for contractors, suppliers, consultants, etc.

If a project was to proceed today, the scope would be modified as follows:

- No Visitor Information Centre

- Given Council's negotiations to supply effluent to New Acland Coal Mine are proceeding, costs of a pipeline to Acland would be met by NAC.

- No pipeline would be built to Hampton Irrigators.

- As the State is proposing to introduce PRW into Wivenhoe Dam without the need for a withholding period, any scheme to introduce PRW to Cooby would follow the State Government directions in this regard.

Recent preliminary costings carried out by consultants under the SEQ Regional Water Supply Strategy Study indicates that a stand alone PRW Plant in Toowoomba would cost in the order of $90 to $100M.

2.2 Commonwealth Funding

The Australian Government's Water Smart Australian program provided funding of $1.6 billion to fund significant innovative and demonstrative projects around Australia. In considering projects for funding, the National Water Commission considers level of proponents' funding and whether State or private funding is also proposed.

Advice from the National Water Commission is that the fund is approaching full commitment with $1.2 billion in projects approved to date and the balance expected to be expended in projects currently under consideration and contingency allowances.

2.3 State Government Funding

The State Government provides a subsidy of up to 50% for Beneficial Reuse of Effluent. It is expected that a stand alone PRW scheme would attract such a subsidy.

2.4 Possible Funding Mix (State, Commonwealth, Council)

The range of Commonwealth Government Funding percentage has varied in projects funded to date and range from 12.5% through to 60%. State Government provides subsidies up to a maximum of 50% for eligible schemes.

If Council desires to proceed with a further application then it would be strongly recommended that it be on the basis of equal State and Commonwealth funding. It is further suggested that the State and Commonwealth share be 40% each and Council meet 20%. Therefore for a project costing $100M, the funding split would be:

- Commonwealth $ 40M
- State $ 40M
- TCC $ 20M
- Total $100M

3.0 REQUIREMENTS TO NOTIFY MINISTER UNDER s159ZW OF THE REFORM ACT

Under section 159ZW of the Act, a merging local government must not make a major policy decision in the transition process. There could be exceptional circumstances that apply where it may be necessary to make a major policy decision. In this event, the local government must notify the Minister for Local Government, Planning and Sport immediately of the decision and the nature of the exceptional circumstances.

CONCLUSION

Funding under previous submission has lapsed.

State Government has decided that Toowoomba's long term water supply is guaranteed by a connection to the SEQ Water Grid via a pipeline from Wivenhoe to Perseverence.

State Government recognises Council's preference that a local purified recycled water scheme may represent an alternative supply option for Toowoomba.

The Australian Government's Water Smart Australia fund is near full committment (sic) .

A subsidy of up to 50% is available from the State Government for eligible schemes.

A stand alone PRW Scheme in Toowoomba is expected to cost between $90 and $100M.

A suitable funding ratio would be TCC 20%, State 40% and Commonwealth 40%.

See - Council Committee Meetings - 21-22 August 2007.

Milne Bay Aquatic Centre funding bungle ...

The Agenda for the Toowoomba City Council Committee Meetings on 21 and 22 August 2007 is just full of fun reading.

Here's an example.

Agenda Item No. 19 - The Oops Factor.

Toowoomba City Council gets it wrong on its funding application for Federal government funding for Milne Bay Aquatic Centre - Water Reclamation Project Community Water Grants Application.

Community Water Grants - Round 2 (applications closed 25 August 2006)

An application for a project estimated to cost $142,920.40 seeking $49,920.40 funding was lodged.

Water and Sewerage Program (WASP) - Reduction of Water Loss/ Consumption

An application for a project estimated to cost $190,000 seeking $76,000 subsidy (40%) was lodged under cover of a letter dated 11 September 2006.

The program Guidelines state: "We will not fund anything you have paid for outside the 12 month project period (as defined by us), that is, before the funding agreement has been accepted by us or after the project has been completed."

Pretty clear.

The project Funding Agreement was signed by Council on 11 December 2006 and signed by the Department of the Environment and Heritage on 16 January 2007. The Funding Agreement states that the project period is 12 months from the start of the Agreement, this being the date the Agreement was signed by the Department of the Environment and Heritage.

Funding application was submitted after the project commenced. Doesn't fit funding guidelines. Funding refused.

Decision on Water and Sewerage Program (WASP) - Reduction of Water Loss/Consumption application is pending but expect the same result.

Oops.

Someone in the Council stuffed up.

Didn't read the Guidelines.

And this is the same Council which wants to submit a further funding application for its failed Water Futures recycled water plant (see - Time to recycle Water Futures).

If it wasn't such a waste of time and money and forgone subsidies, it would be comical.

Bring on the March 2008 election ...

Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 ...

Read the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 here:

- Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007.

The relevant provision:

(1E) A law of a State or Territory has no effect to the extent to which the law in any way prohibits a person or body from, or penalises or discriminates against a person or body for:

(a) entering into, or proposing to enter into, an arrangement under subsection (1); or

(b) taking part in or assisting with, or proposing to take part in or assist with, the conduct of an activity (such as a plebiscite) to which an arrangement under subsection (1) relates.

(1F) If the operation of subsection (1E) would, but for this subsection, exceed the legislative powers of the Commonwealth, it is the intention of the Parliament that it operate to the extent that the law of the State or Territory would be inconsistent with Article 19, or paragraph (a) of Article 25, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Note: Articles 19 and 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are set out in Schedule 2 to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986.


Your move, Premier ...

Farmer puzzled at dam cover agonising ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Farmer puzzled at dam cover agonising

15 August 2007

A Darling Downs farmer who has developed a floating cover to stop evaporation from water storages says he cannot understand why Brisbane and Toowoomba water authorities are not using it.

Warwick Hill says southern Queensland's major water storages lose almost two metres of water a year through evaporation.

Toowoomba's three dams are at just 13 per cent and south-east Queensland storages are at less than 17 per cent.

The polyethylene covers are manufactured in Toowoomba and Mr Hills says they are now installed at more than 70 urban and agricultural storages in Australia.

Mr Hill says he has also had interest from overseas but not from Queensland authorities despite the crackdown on water wasters.

"So far they've not made a decision, certainly in relation to Brisbane water they've had our official quotation in their hands now for 12 months and we're still to hear an official response from them," he said.

"They keep telling me its under consideration and its certainly got their interest, unfortunately for us they haven't got back with a favourable response."

See - Leaders have heads in sand.

Howard-Beattie face-off - latest developments ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Howard to scrap Beattie fines

16 August 2007

In a dramatic escalation of the war between John Howard and Peter Beattie, the Federal Government is to introduce a bill into parliament overriding any fines imposed on councils in Queensland who hold a vote about council amalgamations.

The move follows threats by Mr Beattie that councils would be fined if they held a referendum to decide if there is support for council mergers.

In announcing the legislation, the Prime Minister said today the threats of sanctions were "undemocratic".

"It's a very simple bill and a very simple message to Mr Beattie: let the people speak, let them have a view," he told reporters in Canberra.

"What we are railing against is the denial of the Beattie Government of the people of Queensland to express a view."

See - PM Howard to override Beattie's fines on Councillors.

Traveston - it was a dam bad idea ...

More problems for Premier Beattie with the release of the Federal Senate report into the proposed Traveston Dam.

Federal Labor has backed the report which is critical of the Beattie government's approach to Traveston.

Guess Pete and KRudd won't be speaking anytime soon ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Labor split a dam buster

16 August 2007

The Federal Opposition has backed a damaging Senate report that will put pressure on the State Labor Government to scrap its controversial Traveston Dam plan.

In a major blow to the $1.7 billion project, three Labor senators sided with the Coalition in raising "serious concerns" about the controversial dam, near Gympie.

The long-awaited report – to be released today – questions the impact of the 180,000-megalitre dam on the environment and the State Government's lack of consultation with the community.

Doubts are also raised about the project's hydrology and engineering.

The Federal Opposition's endorsement of the report could give Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull added justification to cancel the Traveston Dam project, after an assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which is under way.

The endorsement also signals a widening rift with state Labor, following the damaging stoush with the Beattie Government over forced council mergers. Federal Labor fears mergers could cost Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd votes at the upcoming election.
...

A key recommendation in the report asks Mr Turnbull to carefully consider the impact of the dam on the Mary River and rare animals such as the lungfish.

Another recommendation urges the State Government – if it does proceed – to properly consult and compensate affected communities, as well as release any relevant reports in a "timely" fashion.

Labor senators on the committee included John Hogg and Claire Moore from Queensland.

An additional report by Liberal senators Ian Macdonald and Russell Trood and Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce went further, arguing the dam should not proceed.

The Senate inquiry was established in February to examine "all reasonable" options to tackle the region's water shortage, with a special focus on Traveston Dam.
...

See - Labor split over Traveston.

Premier Pete's $1 million urgent history of Qld ...

More evidence that Premier Beattie is on his way out, commissioning an 'urgent' history of Qld without going to a tender process.

Could it possibly be argued that Dr Fitzgerald will write a sympathetic history of the Beattie years?

If not, why the urgency to get it written, why the need for an advance of almost $1 million and why was there no tender for the work?

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

$1m for 'urgent' history book

16 August 2007

Taxpayers will fork out almost $1 million for a new history of Queensland under a publishing deal approved by Premier Peter Beattie but not offered for public tender.

Griffith University professor of history and politics Ross Fitzgerald scored the plum job in a contract worth about $900,000 over three years.

Dr Fitzgerald has already written a two-volume history of Queensland up to the early 1980s.

The deal has raised eyebrows in publishing circles and sparked Opposition accusations of cronyism.

Henry Rosenbloom, publisher of the highly respected independent Scribe, Australia's small publisher of the year in 2006, was astonished at the figure.

"I've never heard of anything like it," he said. "It's the sort of advance you would give a major sporting celebrity like Steve Waugh for a biography that you could be certain of selling hundreds of thousands of copies."

See - Beattie's on his way out - but it costs us another $1 million.

Federal government's GST proposal on rain revisited...

On 14 January 2007, 4350water blog ran the following article:

Federal government proposes GST on rain ...

In a clear sign that the National Water Commission has lost touch with reality, an email from the NWC has surfaced which discusses the likelihood of taxing the water that runs into household rainwater tanks.

On average, when there are no water restrictions, about 30% of household water use is used outdoors.

We are being encouraged to reduce water use and reduce our dependence on dam water supplies.

Imagine the impact on water use if everyone installed a rainwater tank even just for outdoor use.

Then imagine how many people would give up on their rainwater tanks if a NWC plan to tax rain is adopted by the Federal government.

Excerpt from the news.com.au (annotated):

State fuming over 'rainwater tax' plan

14 January 2007

The Victorian Government is outraged at a leaked federal proposal to tax rainwater collected from roofs.

The idea was revealed in a leaked email seen by the Sunday Herald Sun.

Acting Premier John Thwaites yesterday warned that if water was privatised - as proposed by some federal Liberals - a tax on rainwater in tanks would follow. The Bracks Government is furious at the mooted tax - it pays rebates on tanks as a water conservation measure.

In the email, National Water Commission chief Ken Matthews says, "Legally, all water in Australia is vested in governments."

Mr Matthews' email continued: "Governments have not yet considered the capture of water from roofs in rainwater tanks to be of sufficient magnitude to warrant the issuing of specific entitlements to use this class of water. However, if rainwater tanks were to be adopted on a large scale such that their existence impacts significantly on the integrated water cycle, consideration could be given to setting an entitlement regime for this class of water."

See - GST proposal on rain.

Fast forward to August 2007 and the Federal government is claiming that the State will take control of the water in your rainwater tanks - probably sending you a bill for it.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Householders warned of tank water takeover

15 August 2007

Queensland households risk losing control of the rainwater that falls on their roofs.

With dam levels at record low levels, there is concern the State Government is eyeing off billions of litres stored in domestic water tanks

And according to advice tabled in Federal Parliament, there is nothing to stop it taking “ownership” of the water.

Concerned water tank owners fear the Government may extend tough water restrictions to private tank use, or even seize control of their supplies if the drought persists.

The federal advice, from Environment and Water Resources Minister Malcolm Turnbull said households did not necessarily own rainwater that fell on rooftops.

"State and territory governments could establish entitlement regimes in order to regulate the use of water that falls on a person’s roof," he said.
...

Turnbull-Rudd spat - KRudd to blame for SEQ drought ...

The Wolfdene Dam gets another airing - this time by Minister Turnbull, seeking to score points off KRudd.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Rudd blamed for drought

15 August 2007

Kevin Rudd has been accused by the Federal Government of being "the architect" of the crippling water shortage in southeast Queensland.

In a strong, personal attack on the Opposition Leader, Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Parliament Mr Rudd had killed off the proposed Wolffdene Dam project in the late 1980s when he worked as Wayne Goss's chief-of-staff.

"He cancelled one viable option and then replaced it with nothing else," Mr Turnbull said.

"The member for Griffith is the architect of southeast Queensland's drought.

"His complacency, his inaction, is the reason southeast Queensland is short of water."

See - KRudd cops blame.

Beattie backdown on Council sacking ...

... Council workers allowed to open postal votes without losing their jobs.

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Backflip on Council Poll

14 August 2007

A maverick southwest Queensland council has won the right to hold a vote on council amalgamations after a State Government backflip on threats to sack them.

Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser last night backed down on warnings against Warroo Shire Council, allowing them to begin counting hundreds of survey forms at a meeting today.
...

See - Beattie's dictator tactics backfire.

Recycled water - hard to swallow ...

Excerpt from the Australian (annotated):

Hard to swallow

11 August 2007

To some, the idea of drinking recycled sewage is akin to eating cockroach-chip ice cream -- unthinkable, even if shown to be safe. Others in positions of power, such as Queensland's Premier Peter Beattie, are so desperate for a solution to dwindling dam supplies they are willing to risk community disgust and implement the option anyway, using treated effluent to eke out diminishing rainwater reserves.

All protagonists are keen for scientific evidence to back their arguments -- and now they feel they have their ammunition.

Australian health and science authorities have issued a draft of the world's first safety guidelines on recycling sewage for human consumption. Recycling has been taking place in some areas of the world for decades, but national guidelines have never been created in any of the countries doing so.

Details of the draft guidelines, released recently, are being seized on by both water experts and anti-recycling campaigners as fodder for their causes.

On the "pro" side, the draft guidelines state that it is possible to safely recycle sewage for drinking purposes, as long as strict treatment and management processes are followed.

But the guidelines set the bar so high that they are likely to stop small, parched towns from taking up the controversial option -- an assessment anti-recyclers seeing as a win.

The guidelines warn that the process of recycling waste water is highly complex and risky, and requires expensive technology and skills -- resources difficult to find among local government or small utilities.

Anti-recycling campaigners say that the draft guidelines, as they stand, would have ruled out the failed Toowoomba waste water recycling plan and could scuttle proposals to augment supplies in Canberra and nearby Goulburn.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Water Quality Advisory Committee member David Cunliffe says the guidelines were not designed as a political tool, but to outline how to strip sewage water of contaminants such as viruses and chemicals so it is safe to drink.

"It can be done, but it is a challenge," Cunliffe said. "It is naive to think incidents won't occur, but controlled and timely responses will ensure incidents don't present a health risk.

"The expertise required will make it difficult for local governments and small utilities to do -- it is not an approach for a small town or utility and it will be a challenge even for the largest utilities or governments."

Brisbane will become the first Australian town or city to use recycled sewage for drinking by the end of next year, with recycled water to be pumped to the Wivenhoe Dam through the $1.7 billion western corridor pipeline, the biggest project of its kind in Australia.

Despite voting against a recycled water proposal last year, Toowoomba will get recycled water from that pipeline. [This is NOT a certainty.]

The guidelines may be in draft form and open for public comment, but the Queensland, Goulburn and ACT authorities cannot wait until the final version is released: they need to know now how they could safely implement a scheme now. Each of these groups is relying heavily on the draft.

Along with a complicated 12-step system for the safe operation of water recycling facilities, the guidelines provide key principles for recycling. These include that the protection of public health is paramount and should never be compromised, any attempt to augment supplies must have community support, and utilities which take on the task must have the resources to properly meet the challenge and their staff must have appropriate skills and training.

While the draft fails to detail a specific set of technologies which must be used to treat the water, the principles do state that every system must use multiple barriers, such as membrane filtration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation, as none is perfect and each has strengths and weaknesses.

Also, industrial waste water must be monitored and managed under separate programs. And each scheme must be subject to regulatory surveillance.

The guidelines all but rule out the direct augmentation of supplies -- where recycled water enters the drinking supply system without going through an intermediary receiving body of water, such as a river or reservoir. There is only one case of direct potable reuse in the world, and that scheme -- in Namibia -- was developed in the 1960s.

"The scope for assessing water quality and intervening before substandard water is supplied to consumers is limited," the draft says.

Community acceptance of such schemes would be difficult and any successful implementation would be exceedingly expensive, it adds.

The draft guidelines -- developed by experts in public health, toxicology and drinking water management -- are based on the best available scientific evidence from around the world.

But the evidence on some health aspects of wastewater recycling -- such as the potential impact on allergy sufferers -- is still scant, the authors of the draft guidelines admit.

A group of government, science and legal experts met in Canberra earlier this month to discuss the draft, and similar public consultation workshops will take place in other capital cities over the next four weeks.

Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young and ANU infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon raise concerns about the lack of mention of potential effects on allergy sufferers in the draft.

"I am going to have every allergy group in the state asking if their child will be safe (drinking recycled water)," Young says. Cunliffe says the issue of allergies will be considered before the final guidelines are released.

"We know some pharmaceuticals have allergic outcomes for some people, but it is very difficult to assess. We will see if there is a way of dealing with it."

The authors of the guidelines do not doubt the technology. Their concerns centre on institutional capability and operator capacity -- the human element.

Technical director of the Water Services Association of Australia Peter Donlon says there are vast differences in the capabilities of water providers across the country, and most small operators are simply not equipped to recycle wastewater. "If you are not big enough, don't bother," says Donlon.

The WSAA is the representative of city water suppliers. Donlon says there is already only very patchy implementation of guidelines for the treatment of drinking water from traditional sources, and that regulatory bodies need to ensure new (and old) guidelines are followed.

The capacity issue is not just one for local government, but for state government as well, Mark Batty from the WA Local Government Association says. He says the West Australian Government is currently investigating its capability to provide safe water to the public.

NHMRC Water Quality Advisory Committee chair Don Bursill likened novices running the recycling treatment process to a janitor flying a jumbo.

"These are complex technologies. If people don't understand these things, they shouldn't be in the game." Bursill says the main tenet of the draft guidelines is that domestic waste water can be recycled for drinking, but all other options must be ruled out first.

"We do recognise that it has to be done sometimes," he says. University of NSW water recycling expert Greg Leslie says many of the treatment and management systems and processes used in traditional drinking water supply systems could be used in recycled waste water systems just as effectively.

Collignon, who has raised concerns about the safety of a proposed recycling scheme for Canberra, welcomes the new guidelines. But he thinks they need to be improved, and should state recycling must only be considered as a last resort.

Toowoomba councillor and anti-recycling campaigner Snow Manners claims the NHMRC and other organisations that have endorsed the "flawed" guidelines are "flying blind", asserting there is not enough evidence to show recycling is safe.

Manners likens drinking recycled water to eating cockroach-chip ice-cream. "It is probably very nutritious and safe, but people don't like the idea of it," he says.

Karin Leder, from Monash University's Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, says she supports the guidelines. "We are not saying there is no risk -- we are saying there is acceptable risk."

Stuart Khan, program leader at the Centre for Water and Waste Technology, says more work is required on the guidelines.

He says it will never be possible to check recycled water for every potential contamination, so it will be better to develop a list of surrogate chemicals which could indicate the overall quality of the treated water.

Over the next four weeks the draft guidelines will be taken to every capital city across the country for consultation. Overseas bodies have also grabbed the opportunity to assess the guidelines. So far, it seems they have only gone so far in clearing the public's mind over what is proving a very murky issue.

See - Hard to swallow.

Howard-Beattie face-off - Beattie to retire in a few weeks ...

Excerpt from the Courier Mail:

Beattie: I'm not quitting yet

10 August 2007

Premier Peter Beattie has this afternoon denied claims from the Prime Minister that he is just weeks away from announcing his retirement.

Mr Beattie said he had not made up his mind about retirement and that he would reach a decision about his future over the next 12 months.

John Howard claimed in parliament yesterday that Mr Beattie was preparing to retire "in September or October".

The leaders have clashed repeatedly and spectacularly over the Queensland Government's plan to amalgamate councils.

"Every man and his dog, including Rusty, knows that Peter Beattie is going to retire in September or October of this year," Mr Howard said, referring to Mr Beattie's pet dog.

"And his retirement gift to the people of Queensland is to put the jackboot into the democratically elected people of various local government bodies."
...

See - Beattie is going.

4350water declares GAME ON ... again ...

It's a brave set of Yes Councillors who would re-enter the murky waters of the recycled water debate again.

But it seems to be happening.

So it's probably time to declare GAME ON ... again.

As Cr Englart contemplates another Federal government funding application, she and the other Yes Councillors will be met with the same level of commitment, research, facts and publicity that the 4350water blog has brought to the debate so far.

Lie and mislead the public and you will be exposed.

Hide information from the public and you will be exposed.

Hold secret Council meetings to cobble together the funding application and you will be exposed.

Waste ratepayers' funds and you will be exposed.

Try to shut down the blogs again and you will be exposed.

If they think this gets any easier for them this time around, think again ...

Water Futures - Councillors try to vote themselves out of office ...

Desperate tactics from desperate people - with the lies starting all over again. Beattie wants to take our dams - it's better to drink our own recycled water so Beattie won't take our dams. What rubbish.

The real difficulty for Cr Englart and others is - how do you submit a funding application for a fundamentally flawed recycled water proposal when everyone now knows it is fundamentally flawed?

Will the Council show the real cost this time - likely to be $200-300 million?

Where will the Council say the RO waste stream will go this time?

Even if the Federal government ignored the July 2006 referendum result, how will the Council satisfy the other funding conditions which are likely to apply this time? (Given PM Howard's current mood, he's likely to fund another referendum.)

How will the remainder of the project be funded, given that the State government won't provide funding?

All in all - another abominable waste of Toowoomba ratepayers' money.

What will the voters think in March 2008?

Excerpt from the Chronicle (annotated):

Recycled water plan back in the pipeline

10 August 2007

Toowoomba City Council is initiating plans to prepare another submission for Federal Government funds to build a stand-alone recycling plant to treat water for drinking.

Cr Sue Englart said it was time to stop "tippy-toeing" around.

More than a year after the historic poll which rejected the plan, the controversial recycled water is destined for the city's supply when it links to the South East Queensland water grid.

And once water flows from Wivenhoe Dam to Perseverance Dam via a pipeline, the State intends assuming the city's water infrastructure. [This is incorrect - the State government has NOT said this.]

Councillors, with the exception of Snow Manners, agreed that if recycled water were to come through the taps, Toowoomba should have its own recycling plant and keep its assets.

Cr Englart's request came after she was set back on her haunches [a sight no-one would want to see!] by Member for Groom Ian Macfarlane. She told her colleagues this week she had asked of Mr Macfarlane what he could do about the city's water crisis.

"He said we haven't submitted any applications since the water poll last year," she said.

Heartened by his response, Cr Englart declared it was time to test the "influence" Mr Macfarlane maintained he had within his Cabinet.

The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, Mr Macfarlane and Labor candidate Chris Meibusch espoused their vision for the future of the electorate at an Urban Developers Institute of Australia breakfast.

Citizens Against Drinking Sewage (CADS) coordinator Rosemary Morley has put councillors on notice with a letter of protest.

Mrs Morley implored councillors to "put an immediate stop to this scaremongering campaign as this community is in enough upheaval because of the amalgamations debacle".

See - Councillors try to vote themselves out of office.