Anna Bligh seeks $100m to redirect sewage to Brisbane ...

Short on sewage to pump into her recycled water plant, Premier Anna seeks funding from Canberra to redirect Logan City's sewage to Brisbane.

Excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald:

Qld seeks funds for aquifer alternative

24 December 2007

The Queensland government is seeking $100 million in federal funding for an environmentally-friendly alternative to taking groundwater from North Stradbroke Island, off Brisbane.

Premier Anna Bligh said on Monday she had written to federal Water Minister Penny Wong asking for the funds under the $1 billion National Urban Water and Desalination Plan.

The state government had planned to take an extra 22 megalitres of water a day from the island's aquifer, as part of plans for its eastern pipeline interconnector.

But a scientific assessment found the drought-hit aquifer was less full than expected, and that taking more water could risk long-term damage.

In October, Ms Bligh asked the Department of Infrastructure to accelerate investigations into alternatives.

The investigations identified the shortfall could be made up by connecting the Loganholme wastewater treatment plant to the Western Corridor Recycled Water Program pipeline.

Both projects are part of the government's water grid, a series of water recycling, desalination and pipeline schemes to provide southeast Queensland with water during the drought.

Ms Bligh said the alternative would provide the water needed, while maintaining the delicate water balance on North Stradbroke Island.

"This is clearly a long-term, environmentally-friendly outcome," she said.

"I am confident that now we have a federal government that takes our water security seriously we will at last get a fair hearing."

Ms Bligh also announced that she would release a report on the potential environmental effects of taking water from the island.

A Freedom of Information request from a local residents group had previously been declined because the document had been taken to cabinet.

See - Anna seeks sewage redirection funds.