Water Futures - when No means No ...

The recent furore created by the outgoing Mayor deserves a comment.

See - Water Futures blog - trying it again.

The outgoing Mayor and Cr Englart just don't get it.

They can dance all they like around the issue of recycled water and trying to ram through some form of resolution which will 'require' the next Toowoomba City Council to revisit the failed Water Futures project.

The simple truth is that, when properly costed, any recycled water plant for Toowoomba will not be the cheapest option - by a significant margin. Look at the cost of Premier Beattie's three recycled water plants and pipeline - $2 billion and counting.

There is also still nowhere for the RO waste stream to go - this was recently highlighted in relation to the use of recycled water plants for inland cities in the example of Canberra. Is there any commitment by a third party to take the RO waste stream to avoid the necessity of evaporation ponds? No.

It doesn't work, it never worked, they tried to fool you that it would and, in March 2008, it's payback time at the ballot box as you get an opportunity to sweep all the Yes councillors out of office and elect a new Council which will really look at sensible long-term water solutions for Toowoomba and the surrounding region ...