Toowoomba Regional Council 2008 election - Cr Manners on Toowoomba's future direction ...

Letter to the Editor, the Chronicle:

1 February 2008

It isn't about water. It's about the new regional council making its own decisons

It is a pity to see debate in the first election of our Regional Council becoming dominated by Toowoomba water.

Anna Bligh’s announced pipeline to Cressbrook Dam wasn’t the recommendation of the Toowoomba Water Supply Task Force which recommended a pipeline to Perseverance Dam first and then build a dam at Emu Creek second. The premier of the time (Beattie) said purified sewage was an ‘Armageddon’ solution and he hadn’t announced water assets of councils joining the SEQ water grid would be taken by the state.

This latest announcement is not supported by operating costs or construction costs to rank it against other options.

The Darling Downs Water Grid is growing and already comprises recycled water to Millmerran Power Station, committed to Acland Coal Mine and used by irrigators.

There are pipelines to Oakey, Highfields and Crows Nest, deep bores at Oakey, Hampton, Cooby Dam and Wetalla and the city basalt bores. Regional towns have independent water supplies. This is in addition to private tanks, dams and bores, Cooby, Cressbrook and Perseverance Dams.

The issue is whether we accept Anna Bligh’s solution without discussion or stay out of the SEQ Water Grid. According to the Premier forced amalgamations would give regional councils ‘clout’ but already the State is dictating.

The outgoing Toowoomba Mayor dividing the community yet again on the issue of water at this late stage of her term doesn’t serve any useful purpose.

It isn’t about water. It’s about the new regional council not being dominated by a mayor, councillors and bureaucrats representing the State Government on amalgamation, water and regional planning rather than the people.

Cr Snow Manners