Captain Chaos update - K Rudd shows he loves VIP travel just as much as Howard ...

Excerpt from Courier Mail:

28 June 2008
...

Just a few weeks into his new job, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd chalked up $75,000 in taxpayer-funded VIP flights to go to the Boxing Day cricket Test in Melbourne.

Official documents released late on the final day of Parliament's budget session show a RAAF VIP Boeing 737 jet flew from Canberra to Melbourne on December 27, 2007, with Mr Rudd, his son Marcus, 14, several staff and a security detail on board.

The airliner flew back to Canberra empty and the next day returned to Melbourne to collect Mr Rudd and Marcus, as well as older brother Nicholas.

A day after he returned from the cricket, Mr Rudd, his wife Therese Rein and their two sons took a $25,000 VIP flight to Sydney to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks from the Kirribilli House veranda.
...

See - Courier Mail - PM took a $75,000 trip to watch the cricket.

Carbon credit madness - Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No 1) Bill 2008 ...

See - Sydney Morning Herald - Chip off the old block appals unlikely allies.

Captain Chaos suffers one of the largest by-election poll swings since Federation ...

[W]ith 60 per cent of the vote counted, there was a seven per cent swing away from Mr Rudd's Labor Party after only seven months in office.

In the 141 by-elections held since Federation, the average anti-government swing has been only four per cent.

See - Sunday Telegraph - Rudd's shock poll rebuff.

Former Bligh Minister's offspring caught drug trafficking ...

See - Courier Mail - MP's son on drugs charges.

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'Garden City' develops a thirst for bore water ...

Excerpt from Brisbane Times:

'Garden City' develops a thirst for bore water

27 June 2008

Toowoomba, which prides itself as Australia's "Garden City", may be dependent on emergency bore water from the Great Artesian Basin later this year.

Storage in the city's three dams dropped below 11 per cent this week and will continue to fall at an average 0.1 per cent a week.

The city with a population of 100,000 has no real prospect of good rains until much later in the year.

In July 2006 the city voted overwhelmingly to reject a plan of then-mayor Dianne Thorley to use recycled waste water to relieve the protracted drought.

Faced with an effective campaign slogan - "Say no to putting poo in Toowoomba's water" - 62 per cent of voters rejected what would have been an Australian-first recycling scheme.

The state government is considering a variety of options to maintain supplies to the city, 100km west of Brisbane on the Darling Downs, including links to the south-east Queensland water grid or piping coal seam gas wastewater from Chinchilla.

Toowoomba Regional Council deputy mayor Paul Antonio said four or five bores were planned after exploratory drilling found a suitable aquifer.

He said the bores were expected to yield 5,000 megalitres of water a year as an emergency allocation.

See - 'Garden City' develops a thirst for bore water.

State government to announce Toowoomba water plan next week ...

Excerpt from WIN News:

Down to Bore Water

27 June 2008

Toowoomba's water future will be set in stone next week, with the State Government set to announce its final plan to tackle the city's water crisis.

While a pipeline from Wivenhoe is the likely option, council admits it has no idea what action will be taken.

See - Down to Bore Water.

Anna Bligh announced the Wivenhoe pipeline during the Toowoomba Regional Council election - so why the need to reannounce that?

Unless she will announce something else ...

Toowoomba Regional Council - meet and greet sessions ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Toowoomba council access days loom

25 June 2008

Toowoomba council's first community access days will be held on July 1.

Councillors Anne Glasheen and Mike Williams will be at Clifton from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

The Greenmount Service Centre will host Noel Strohfeld and Ian Orford, while Joe Ramia and Paul Antonio will be at Milmerran.

Ratepayers in Toowoomba will not miss out, with Carol Taylor and Ros Scotney in Toowoomba.

The council has asked that anyone wanting to speak to the councillors make an appointment.

See - Toowoomba council access days loom.

Toowoomba to draw on GAB water supplies ...

Remember the Toowoomba City Council?

They said Toowoomba would run out of water back in December 2005.

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

We're down to bore water

26 June 2008

Cosumers dependent on the Toowoomba water supply may be drinking emergency Great Artesian Basin bore water from October.

The three water storage dams levels have slipped to 11.1 per cent, and are declining on average .1% a week.

It's not the lowest, but alarm bells are sounding at City Hall.

Dam levels were down to 10.8 % in February.

Water portfolio spokesman Cr Paul Antonio said, while awaiting State Government plans for future water supplies, be it the pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam or the coal seam gas wastewater from Chinchilla: "We are doing the best we can; we have a contingency plan in place".

"The bores are drilled with four or five bores planned in the bore field that's proved successful.
"We'll access those bores and they will provide 5000 megalitres of water a year as an emergency allocation," he said.

The GAB bores are planned to progressively come on line from October through to February.

Four or five bores are planned with two already drilled and cased.

Tenders are being called for the next three bores.

The 100-hour pump tests on the first two bores will be completed between the end of next month and early August.

Pumps are to be ordered after the pump test results are known then there's a 10-week wait for delivery.

"I'm very proud of the fact that this community is using a lot less water," Cr Antonio said.

Average consumption for last week was 24 megalitres a day.

The residential per capita consumption was 128 litres a person a day.

See - We're down to bore water.

Turnbull on Captain Chaos ...

See - Sydney Morning Herald - Rudd's big fraud: all symbols and no substance.

Brisbane stalls on Toowoomba water source decision ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Toowoomba awaits Govt water decision

25 June 2008

With Toowoomba's dams at 11 per cent and falling, the city's council says it is still waiting for clear direction from the Queensland Government on future sustainable water supplies.

The city's main catchments missed out on good summer and autumn rates, and are dropping by 0.1 per cent each week.

Councillor Paul Antonio says emergency bores will come on line within a few months, and should stretch the water supply to the end of next year.

He says the State Government has been silent for the last month on a long-term solution to Toowoomba's water worries.

"[The] State Government really has to make their decision before we know the way forward, it's obviously going to be water from Wivenhoe Dam to provide us with that additional security," he said.

"If they've solved all the issues that surround the gas water and I would wonder if they'd done that at this point of time, they'd then be able to supply us with gas water."

See - Toowoomba awaits Govt water decision.

Los Angeles recycled water proposal needs the QWC propaganda machine ...

Excerpt from Daily News:

Angelenos Slow to Swallow Purified Sewage Challenge: Advocates Say Information Can Unwrinkle Public's Noses

24 June 2008

The science of recycled water may have come a long way since L.A.'s first attempt to turn sewage water into drinking water was blocked, but has public perception changed as well?

An informal survey of Angelenos suggests no.

Most people interviewed recently wrinkled their noses and shook their heads at the mention of mixing purified toilet water into drinking water -- even if the process provides safe and tasty water.

Many people said they won't even drink tap water now because they consider it unsafe or of poor quality, so drinking recycled water is out of the question.

"It sounds crazy," said Arleta resident Glory Loza. "Even the water we have now isn't safe. Imagine drinking toilet water!"

Loza said she drinks bottled water. Like most others walking at Hansen Dam on a recent morning, she had a fresh bottle of brand- name water tucked under her arm.

Similarly, Panorama City resident Mayra Torres isn't convinced by assurances that the water would be clean.

"I wouldn't drink it. Even though they would clean it, it just doesn't sound safe."

The Department of Water and Power's general manager, H. David Nahai, said he's confident wary Angelenos will embrace recycled water after a strong public-information campaign.

After all, he said, we already drink it. Treated wastewater is already dumped into the Colorado River and the Sacramento Bay Delta, which supply much of the region's current drinking water.

"Once we really roll out our program and talk to people about all the facts of the matter, I've got to believe we have a society that is open-minded and receptive enough to overcome the suspicions," Nahai said.

Gardena resident Sharon Graine was skeptical, especially after she saw a news report that researchers had found trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in the water supply. But she was willing to consider recycled water if officials can provide research and testing results that prove it's safe.

"Maybe recycled water would be cleaner and better than what we're drinking right now," Graine said.

"We have to do something. If we keep going the way we're going, we're going to deplete all of our resources, and we will not have any more water."

Across town, Richard Roberts and Eileen and Ben Marder were sitting on park benches overlooking Lake Balboa, where recycled water fills the recreational pond and irrigates the grass.

All three were adamant that Angelenos need to do a better job of conserving water, but were split on whether they would want to drink recycled water to help meet water demand.

"Sure. Why not? We're going to run out of water one day," said Eileen Marder, who lives at Lake Balboa.

Her husband, Ben, agreed. Times have changed, he said, and technology can do amazing things.

"If it's proven that it's drinkable, why not? It's 2008. They should be able to do that and make it so the water is safe to drink."

But Sherman Oaks resident Roberts said he would want a lot more information.

"It's a good idea to focus on water now. But, no, I don't think I could do it."

Ben Marder suggested if L.A. leaders want to persuade Angelenos to embrace recycled water, the City Council and mayor should drink it for a year first.

"If they don't have any problems after a year, then we'll do it."

See - Angelenos Slow to Swallow Purified Sewage Challenge.

4350water blog makes the Daily Poo poo buzz ...

See - Daily Poo - 23 June 2008 - Pooperia - Poo water tests to 'stay secret'.

Adelaide - recycled sewage may solve crisis ...

See - Adelaide Advertiser - Recycled sewage may solve crisis.

SWQ coal seam gas - BG launches hostile Origin bid ...

See - Sydney Morning Herald - BG launches hostile Origin bid.

SEQ - Poo water tests to ‘stay secret’ ...

Excerpt from Gold Coast Sun:

Poo-water tests to ‘stay secret’

By Brent Melville

18 June 2008

Gold Coasters will not be told about accidents or negative tests involving recycled water.

The secrecy has prompted a lobby group to claim the State Government is shielding itself against possible legal action by people who may have health problems after drinking recycled water.

Gold Coasters will be kept in the dark about any accidents or negative tests involving recycled water. A Gold Coast lobby group which is fighting plans to put recycled water into dams, says the government is shielding itself against possible legal action by people who may have health issues after drinking recycled sewerage water.

Opposition water spokesman, Ray Hopper, has accused the State Government of ‘callous disregard’ for public concerns about the safety of drinking recycled water after it voted down accountability measures in the Water Supply Bill.

He said the Bill failed to ensure recycled drinking water faced ‘strict, consistent safety tests and public reporting procedures’.

"Recycled water will be pumped into the southeast’s drinking supplies in seven months, but legislation allows and safety breaches or questionable test results to remain hidden from public knowledge," said Mr Hopper.

Citizens Against Drinking Sewage spokeswoman Dahl Cummins said liability issues were the reason the government rejected the special safety tests.

"If they can distance themselves from any legalities, then they can say they are not liable if anyone gets sick after drinking the water," she said.

Ms Cummins said the government was trying to avoid what happened in Milwaukee, US, in 1993 when 100 people died and 300,000 people became sick after drinking cryptosporidium in the water.

"The Milwaukee State Government has been sued for hundreds of millions of dollars," she said.

Mr Hopper said if people in southeast Queensland were forced to drink recycled effluent, then the Government should, at a minimum, ensure that all recycled water suppliers followed the same stringent testing and reporting procedures.

"This loose legislation simply adds weight to people’s concerns about drinking recycled water," he said.

"The Bill allows water providers to submit their own water management plan to the water regulator, however it is not known how recycled water will be tested, how frequently it will be tested, or how the results will be published."

"If tests show the water is not safe for human consumption or consistent with drinking water criteria, there is no law requiring them to inform the public."

"Safety breaches could be simply swept under the carpet."

K Rudd - Captain Chaos and the 28 year old spin twins ...

See - The Australian - Captain Chaos and the workings of inner circle.

Also see - The Australian - Anger builds around Kevin Rudd as chaos reigns at the top.

If you read only a couple of articles on K Rudd's first 6 months in office, read these ...

Qld Labor stung by protests, poll ...

See - Brisbane Times - Qld Labor stung by protests, poll.

Hodgson Vale - residents unsettled: Coal mine not for us ...

See - The Chronicle - Residents unsettled: Coal mine not for us.

Also see - Coalworks website and Hodgson Vale tenements.

Polluted China doles out $50b in fuel subsidies ...

See - Sydney Morning Herald - Polluted China doles out $50b in fuel subsidies.

Toowoomba ratepayers to be slugged for amalgamation costs ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Toowoomba council counts merger costs

20 June 2008

Toowoomba Regional Council says it will cost $13 million over the next decade just to deliver wages parity to staff after amalgamation.

Mayor Peter Taylor says direct costs of amalgamation already far outweigh the funding provided for the process by the Queensland Government.

Councillor Taylor says council's only revenue is fees and charges on residents and government subsidies and if the state refuses to provide more money for mergers, rates will rise.

"Financial issues for this regional council are one of the big issues for us, there aren't too many problems we couldn't solve with additional funding and obviously we're very mindful of the impacts we could have on someone's rate notice," he said.

See - ABC News - Toowoomba council counts merger costs.

K Rudd becomes Contiki Kev - a very frequent flyer ...

See - Daily Telegraph - Contiki Kev becomes a very frequent flyer.

QGC reserves to meet mark ...

See - Sydney Morning Herald - QGC reserves to meet mark.

Vandals delay Oakey water scheme ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Vandals delay Oakey water scheme

19 June 2008

Vandals have set back a $6 million project to guarantee water to a Darling Downs community.

The Toowoomba Regional Council had almost finished construction of a reverse osmosis plant at Oakey, which will purify about two megalitres of bore water each day.

Councillor Paul Antonio says vandals broke through a window, smashed equipment, spilled bags of chemicals and pots of paint.

He says the damage is sickening, given the region's dams are down to 12 per cent and it is more important than ever to secure sustainable alternatives.

The council will increase security patrols in the area and is encouraging anyone with information about the incident to contact police.

See - ABC News - Vandals delay Oakey water scheme.

Inquiry call for recycling ...

Excerpt from Gold Coast Sun:

Inquiry call for recycling

4 June 2008

By Brent Melville

An international water researcher and consultant says Gold Coast people should call for a royal commission of inquiry into the use of recycled sewage water.

Canberra man David Tipping, who advises governments and is a former consultant for the World Health Organisation, says Gold Coast people face a ‘serious risk’ to their health from so-called ‘purified recycled wastewater’.

He has called for a royal commission into wastewater recycling plans in Canberra.

The State Government plans to release ‘recycled wastewater’ into the southeast Queensland water grid from October.

Mr Tipping flatly rejected government assurances that recycled water would be safe and said the term ‘purified recycled water’ was propaganda.

“In all my research it’s always been called processed sewage and industrial wastewater,” he said.

Mr Tipping listed eight types of contaminants he said can’t be fully removed from wastewater.

These were pathogens, pharmaceuticals industrial chemical poisons, nerve, blister and choking agents, hallucinogens and nanoparticles, which could cause cancer.

“It is now recognised that low— level chronic doses that cannot be detected or removed, can have long-term effects on humans,” he said.

Mr Tipping said he had ‘no argument’ about re-using sewage and other wastewater but using it for drinking should be a last resort.

“I’m a registered plumber and I know first-hand how things can go wrong when pumps break down, with operator error, accidents and so on.

“I’ve seen the results of the technical faults of the people sitting at desks.
Mr Tipping said he had studied rivers where treated sewage was ‘recycled’ by multiple downstream communities, such as on the Murrumbidgee River.

“With rivers you get natural attenuation (reduction) and dilution of pollutants hut you still get the problem of disinfection byproducts from chlorine, which has been associated with bladder cancers and reproductive problems with women, he said.

SA desalination pilot plant proceeds ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Stanvac desal deal struck

18 June 2008

Agreement has been reached between the South Australian Government and Exxon Mobil for a $10 million pilot desalination plant to be built on the company's mothballed oil refinery site at Port Stanvac in Adelaide's south.

A 2,500-square-metre leased area will be used for the test plant, ahead of the planned construction of a $1 billion plant which is expected to provide up to one quarter of Adelaide's drinking water.

SA Premier Mike Rann says the pilot plant will help guide plans for the main 50-gigalitre plant.

"All major desal plants in the world have to have a pilot plant which is basically testing the pre-treatment, testing the post-treatment, testing the water quality," he said.

"At the same time there's a range of other studies going on, looking at tidal flows, looking at the environmental issues, looking at eco-toxicology."

SA Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald says talks with the company about a permanent site for the main desalination plant are continuing.

She says Exxon Mobil is free to reactivate its oil refinery if it chooses.

"If they decide to re-open refining in the future well then they will have to ensure they do that on the basis that it won't impact on water quality for the desalination plant," she said.

SA Water is already assembling pipes at Taperoo for the pilot water plant.

See - ABC News - Stanvac desal deal struck.

Toowoomba Regional Council keeps its name ...

If only the former Toowoomba City Council had looked at the likely costs of its recycled water folly and thought better of traipsing down that path ...

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Regional name game over

18 June 2008

The pre-election furore over a name change for the Toowoomba Regional Council dissipated yesterday.

It was quelled by a cost estimate of up to $620,000, without any guarantee the people's choice would succeed.

It's no surprise that those once vehemently opposed to the TRC tag yesterday meekly retreated and agreed to unanimously accept the title.

Cr Ian Orford called on his colleagues at the ordinary council meeting, at Greenmount, to abandon the name change and adopt the TRC logo and branding and start rebuilding.

Councillors were presented with a report that a majority of community support was needed before the Minister for Local Government Warren Pitt would refer the matter to the Queensland Electoral Commission.

Before them were the options of community workshops at up to $3000 each, advertisements, special mail-outs costing up to $85,000, a professional research team costing between $200,000 and $300,000 or a plebiscite costed at between $300,000 and $500,000.

Irrespective of the result, the process could vary from $200,000 to $620,000.

Officers had spoken to staff at Barcaldine Regional Council where a name change to Galilee Regional Council is proposed and Dalby Regional Council which has just begun its community consultation for a better name.

Mayor Peter Taylor said: "It's a long road with no guaranteed outcome."

The election, he said, brought representation from each shire and gave the old shires' constituents confidence they won't be forgotten.

Cr Orford wants the old shire signs, especially on boundaries and council vehicles, replaced as soon as possible.

"It sends a bad message about amalgamation we all come under the one umbrella.

"We're in a no-win situation, we have to accept the name and the logo," he said.

See - Regional name game over.

Peregian desal plan scrapped ...

See - ABC News - Peregian desal plan scrapped.

China clearly overtakes U.S. as leading emitter of climate-warming gases ...

See - IHT - China clearly overtakes U.S. as leading emitter of climate-warming gases.

QWC and its $28 million spend on PR spin ...

See - Sunday Mail - Cost of Queensland Water Commission almost $28m a year.

Poet claims global warming is accelerating ...

The ABC News headline is meant to grab the reader's attention:

Aust scientists call for urgent climate change action

14 June 2008

A group of high-profile Australians has issued a statement that has been described as a 'call to arms' to avoid the dangerous effects of climate change.
...

See - Aust scientists call for urgent climate change action.

It's only when you read the actual statement that you see that "Aust scientists" includes a gaggle of non-scientists who were attending a conference, including a poet:

- climate scientists, earth and prehistory scientists, political leaders, an environmental lawyer, health and population experts, humanists and a poet.

Yes, a poet.

When the poets start warning of the dangers of global warming, we must really be in trouble ...

A nation's liquidity at stake ...

See - The Australian - A nation's liquidity at stake.

CMC investigates Beattie - Rose relationship ...

See - Brisbane Times - Bombshell: CMC to investigate alleged cover-up.

Also see - MP Messenger letter to CMC.

And - Crikey - CMC allegations of relationship between Beattie and Rose.

Update: Beattie's lightning fast response to the CMC.

Recycled water poll makes Toowoomba Regional Council nervous ...

Seems the 2006 referendum on recycled water may be making the new Toowoomba Regional Council nervous with stories circulating that they won't order lunch without first commissioning a survey of voters' views on the matter.

Excerpt from WIN News:

Council Survey Criticism

11 June 2008

Toowoomba Regional Council is being criticised for a lack of decisive leadership.

Yesterday Mayor Peter Taylor decided to spend $15,000 on a poll asking ratepayers to vote on Sunday trading.

Today council considered outlaying up to $85,000 to poll the public on changing its name.

See - WIN News - Council survey criticism.

From one extreme to the other ...

Qld Opposition: no tough safety regulations for recycled drinking water ...

Excerpt from qldcoalition.org.au

Government: there won’t be tough safety regulations for recycled drinking water
16 May 2008

Source: Ray Hopper MP

The State Government proved their callous disregard for public concern over the safety of drinking recycled water, by voting down accountability measures in the Queensland Parliament yesterday for the Water Supply Bill which fails to ensure recycled drinking water faces strict, consistent safety tests and public reporting procedures.

With recycled water set to enter the south-east’s drinking supplies in seven months, the legislation allows any safety breaches or questionable test results to remain hidden from public knowledge.

The Opposition’s Shadow Minister for Water, Ray Hopper, said if south east Queensland residents were to be forced to drink recycled effluent, then the Government should at a minimum ensure all recycled water suppliers follow the same stringent testing and reporting procedures.

"This loose legislation simply adds more weight to people’s concerns over drinking recycled water," Mr Hopper said.

"The bill allows water providers to submit their own water management plan to the water Regulator, however it is unknown how recycled water will be tested, how frequently tests will happen, or how the results will be published."

"If tests results show the water is not safe for human consumption or consistent with drinking water criteria, there is no law requiring the public to be alerted. Safety breeches (sic) could be simply swept under the carpet, and the public would be none the wiser."

"This piece of legislation is full of blank holes and empty definitions. This Labor Government obviously plans to make up water security procedures on the run."

Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Fiona Simpson said the Opposition’s amendments calling for common-sense safety measures were knocked down by Government.

"Our proposed amendments said recycled water should be strictly monitored by consistent testings across the board, with all results published for public scrutiny," Ms Simpson said.

"We also called for the Regulator to publish any safety breaches, so the public know what they’re drinking. "

"If Labor is so confident that recycled water is perfectly safe for drinking, then why did they refuse to see consistent, accountable safety measures put in legislation?"

See - Government: there won’t be tough safety regulations for recycled drinking water.

QGC expands Surat Basin acreage with Roma Petroleum buy ...

See - ABC News - Roma Petroleum accepts $47m takeover deal.

Energy giants stampede to Qld coal seam gas supply ...

Excerpt from Inside Business transcript:

Energy giants stampede to QLD coal seam gas supply

8 June 2008
...

ALAN KOHLER: How much accessible coal seam gas is there in Australia?

SHAUN SCOTT: Certainly in Queensland as you know there's lots and lots of coal. Coal seam gas is really created at the same time the coal's made. So, you know, coal exploration's been going on for a lot longer than coal seam gas so we know a lot about coal and where it is and the properties of it and we know there's gas in it. So I think, you know. From a resource potential. It's enormous, CSIRO I think estimating in Queensland somewhere between 250 to 300 trillion cubic feet of resource exists in coal seam gas. It's a massive resource. Obviously, there's a lot of work to do and a lot of things that will have to happen to turn that resource into reserves and then modify those reserves into LNG.

ALAN KOHLER: Someone told me that the Queensland coal seam gas reserves are equivalent to the Bass Strait in terms of barrels of oil equivalent. Is that correct?

SHAUN SCOTT: Certainly I've heard those things said before, and people even comparing it to the north west shelf in terms of the gas potential that exists. So, you know, if those things are true then certainly it's an enormous resources, and the great thing about it is that it's all onshore and it's in reasonably accessible areas and close to markets and population bases.

ALAN KOHLER: There has been a lot of deals lately, takeovers and deals like yours, what sort of difference has that made to the value of the coal seam gas?

SHAUN SCOTT: I don't think they've changed anything to the value of it other than giving it recognition, obviously with our deal with Shell we've spent a fair bit of time working with them, they've done a reasonably amount of due diligence looking at the resource potential and what we've got, prior to making that investment decision. And I guess the other thing that it's done is it's awakened investors globally to the potential of coal seam gas companies in Australia.

ALAN KOHLER: Yeah, well it might not have made much difference to your idea of the value of the gas but it made a difference to how investors see it.

SHAUN SCOTT: I think that's right. Certainly it's given people a lot more confidence and enhanced the credibility of the resource.

ALAN KOHLER: So what do you think as you look ahead, the Queensland coal seam methane industry will look like in five years' time, say?

SHAUN SCOTT: Well, I certainty expect that LNG exports will have begun within that time frame. To support that, obviously a significant amount of development to produce the gas that's required to supply all of the LNG projects that are proposed. In terms of an industry, I
think it'll be starting to rival the coal industry in terms of the amount of people that it employs and the value it's creating for the Australian
economy.

See - ABC - Inside Business - Energy giants stampede to Qld coal seam gas supply.

Tweed shire dumps secret potable reuse project ...

Excerpt from Tweed Daily News:

4 June 2008

A proposal to pump recycled water from Tweed homes and businesses back into Clarrie Hall Dam and the town water system is set to be dumped because the cost would hit nearly $200 million.

See - Water recycle plan dumped.

61.8% of Toowoomba voters throwing up their breakfast this morning ...

... after reading that Toowoomba's former Mayor is included in the Queen's birthday honours list.

See - List of honours and Former Mayor gobsmacked.

These awards are clearly not worth the paper they are written on.

Still - if this is the price of getting rid of her ...


Update - you can add your feedback to the article in the Tasmanian Mercury here:

Mercury - No half-measures - feedback.

Farmers welcome coal seam gas study group ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Farmers welcome coal seam gas study group

6 June 2008

Farmers close to coal seam gas fields near Dalby have welcomed the creation of a working group to study coal seam gas water, saying it is a step in the right direction.

The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee says the Queensland Government has set up a working group to investigate what impacts the salty water - a by-product of the coal seam gas mining process - has on soils and aquifers.

Members of the Environmental and Property Protection Association are worried water ponds at gas fields near Dalby are damaging local properties and waterways.

President Bruce Derrick says the association will invite the working group to tour their properties.

"I can't understand why these things weren't set up before, but ... if we can get some scientific process going on where we can work out if there's any problems with our planning or agricultural things, that'd be great," he said.

See - ABC News - Farmers welcome coal seam gas study group.

Shell $776m CSG deal may attract overseas investment ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Shell $776m deal may attract overseas investment

6 June 2008

A $776 million investment in Queensland's coal seam gas reserves by Royal Dutch Shell is tipped to attract more international investment in the sector.

Shell has taken a one-third stake in reserves held by local resource company Arrow Energy.

Chief executive Sean Scott has told the ABC's Inside Business program that years of work developing the industry is paying off.

"With our deal with Shell, we spent a fair bit of time working with them," he said.

"They've done a reasonable amount of due diligence looking at the resource potential and what we've got prior to making that investment decision.

"The other thing that it's done is it's really awakened investors globally to the potential of coal seam gas companies in Australia."

See - ABC News - Shell $776m CSG deal may attract overseas investment.

Coal seam gas bonanza ...

Excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald:

Gas bonanza

7 June 2008

Long the Cinderella of the energy sector, coal-seam gas has suddenly emerged as the hot industry every big global player wants to be in - and NSW is the next frontier of the great gas rush.

It has been a long, hard slog for members of the Australian coal-seam gas industry to be taken seriously.

David Casey, the managing director of the NSW hopeful Eastern Star Gas, would know. He went into coal-seam gas research straight after graduating from university in 1991, and has since faced plenty of sceptics.

"They didn't believe in the sector," he says. "It was a novelty, and we were always seen to be the poor cousin [to coal and conventional oil and gas]."

And when Queensland Gas's managing director, Richard Cottee, joined the Brisbane company in 2002, his first order of business was to ensure its survival by signing as many preliminary supply contracts as it could.

"That was a fairly difficult and mean experience," he recalls. "You were sitting there with [the ill-fated Papua New Guinea gas pipeline project] hanging up over your heads like a dangling bag of swords."

But in the past few weeks, the scepticism which has long clouded the Australian coal-seam gas sector has all but disappeared.
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See - Sydney Morning Herald - Gas bonanza.

K Rudd's expert Garnaut gives up on climate change ...

See - Brisbane Times - Climate change too hard: Garnaut.

Laws passed to regulate recycled water ...

See - ABC News - Laws passed to regulate recycled water.

Coal seam gas projects expand closer to Toowoomba ...

Plans for a large power station near Dalby.

More coal seam gas extracted = more coal seam gas water.

Closer and closer to Toowoomba.

Excerpt from WIN News:

Arrow Energy Takeover

5 June 2008

The region's booming coal seam gas industry has been given a major shake-up, one of the world's largest companies buying a stake in a local producer.

Speculation now rife Royal Dutch Shell intends to use Arrow Energy's gas reserves to build the State's largest power plant, right in our own backyard.

See - WIN News - Arrow Enegy Takeover.

Qld State Opposition considers building Nathan Dam-Toowoomba pipeline ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Opposition would consider building dam pipeline

5 June 2008

The Queensland Opposition says it will consider building a pipeline between the proposed Nathan Dam and Toowoomba if it wins government.

The State Government has allocated $58 million in the Budget to acquire land for the dam near Taroom, and $11 million for pre-feasibility studies.

Darling Downs' MP Ray Hopper says he has done his own study on how much it would cost to supply water from the Dam to Toowoomba and the project would be feasible.

"Costs $440 million to put a one metre pipeline with about four pumping stations in place and when you get a flood in the west like you did in February we could get the water to Toowoomba and then run it downhill to Wivenhoe," he said.

See - ABC News - Opposition would consider building dam pipeline.

Melbourne - govt calls for private tenders for desal plant ...

"Desalination is used in Singapore, the Middle East, Spain, the United States and now we have plants in other parts of Australia, so obviously companies that have been part of delivering those projects have expressed an interest in delivering a similar project here in Victoria," State Water Minister Tim Holding said.
...

"As part of the suite of options we have in place to secure water for Victoria's future, we need to have water that is not rainfall dependant."
...

See - ABC News - Govt calls for private tenders for desal plant.

Qld's 2008/9 Budget - Wivenhoe-Toowoomba pipeline funding buried ...

Funding for the Wivenhoe-Cressbrook pipeline ($168 million) is supposed to come from the budgeted funding for the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project.

But one would think that the proposed pipeline would be important enough to rate a specific mention in the Budget.

Somewhere.

Apparently not.

One would expect to see something in the Capital Measures (Budget Paper 3).

But no - there's no specific mention of the State government providing any funding towards the cost of building the pipeline during 2008/9 or in any future year.

It's not in the Agency Budget Highlights for the Department of Natural Resources and Water.

Nor is it in the Agency Budget Highlights for the Department of Infrastructure and Planning.

It's not even in the Regional Budget Statement where the government highlights what it is doing for the region - although the Darling Downs and West Moreton region gets $5.9 million for an emergency bore at Toowoomba and $700,000 for a wastewater treatment plant at Wyreema.

You'd think it would at least rate a mention there.

As the Qld government says: "Water management is a critical issue for Queensland and the government is making historic levels of investment in essential water and sewerage infrastructure to meet the needs of Queensland communities."

But no - the pipeline is apparently not important enough to rate a mention anywhere.

It doesn't even rate a mention on the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project website and the funding is supposed to be coming from this project.

Seems like it's a secret project.

Does the allocation of funding from a different project mean that the pipeline can be cancelled without the government admitting so - 'it wasn't in the Budget therefore nothing was cancelled'.

Is the government really taking a serious look at CSG water for Toowoomba?

Has Anna Bligh realised that, even if the Wivenhoe-Cressbrook pipeline is built, there'd be little to pipe through it?

All may soon become apparent ...

Controversial QWC head Nosworthy to visit Toowoomba ...

Excerpt from WIN News:

4 June 2008

Nosworthy Visit

Controversial Queensland Water Commission head Elizabeth Nosworthy will make a visit to Toowoomba next month.

Ms Nosworthy is set to speak at a Chamber of Commerce function on the region's water problems.

The government allocated funding in yesterday's state budget to build a pipeline to Wivenhoe Dam, but remains open to piping Coal Seam Gas water from West of the City.

A decision is expected around the time of Nosworthy's visit.

See - WIN News - Nosworthy visit.

Qld State Budget 2008/9 - Wivenhoe-Cressbrook funding ...

Excerpt from WIN News:

3 June 2008

State Budget

Eight hundred million dollars was announced in today's state budget for the Western Corridor Recycled Water project.

And it's from this pool of funds the government will draw the estimated $168 million needed to build a pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam to Cressbrook.

See - WIN News - State Budget.

Salts in CSG water concerns AgForce ...

Excerpt from Farmonline.com.au:

Salts in coal-seam water pose huge environmental risk: AgForce

30 May 2008

AgForce has doused talks of drought-breaking water being supplied by Queensland's booming coal-seam gas sector, warning that salt and other contaminants could do serious environmental damage if not treated properly.

There has been a spate of investments by energy companies to tap into the coal-seam gas industry in the Surat and Bowen basins, which have the earning potential to revatilise many rural economies.

But AgForce water spokesman, Kim Bremner, says an environmental disaster is also waiting to happen and the companies chasing the gas need to be held accountable and responsible for ensuring this is averted.

"The prime agricultural land on the Darling Downs is essential for Queensland's future food supplies and should not be compromised by an extractive industry that is building multiple pipelines and vast evaporation ponds across the landscape but may only be around for 20-30 years," Mr Bremner said.

"The evaporation ponds popping up all over the Downs will have long-term ramifications on farmland availability as well as the quality of soils, ground water in aquifers and flood plain areas.

"Condamine Alliance figures predict that if all proposed coal seam gas development goes ahead, there will be 50,000 hectares of evaporation ponds.

"This will result in millions of tonnes of salt across the landscape.

"From just one small field south of Dalby, it has been estimated more than 400,000 tonnes of salt will be brought to the surface with the associated water."

According to AgForce, each megalitre of coal-seam gas water has between 1300 and 9000ppm salt, compared with normal river water which is 250ppm.

Cattle cannot drink water with more than 2000ppm and on certain soils that level of salts can destroy the land.

The water can be treated to remove the salts and Origin Energy earlier this month opened an award-winning new reverse osmosis water treatment plant at Spring Gully, north of Roma, to desalinate nine megalitres per day.

"The development of this plant is a good step forward in making treated water available for either industrial or agricultural use, but the treatment cost should be borne by the producer of the water and the big unanswered question is: what are the coal-seam gas companies going to do with the salt produced from reverse osmosis plants?" Mr Bremner said

AgForce wants the Queensland Government working group, set up to look at uses for the water associated with coal seam gas extraction, to also consider the long-term environmental impacts of bringing such vast quantities of salty water to the surface.

See - Salts in coal-seam water pose huge environmental risk: AgForce.

Qld State Budget 2008/9 - at a glance ...

See - Courier Mail - Qld State Budget 2008/9 at a glance.

Church of England declares climate change sceptics incestuous rapists ...

See - News.com.au - Climate change sceptics 'as bad as Fritzl'.

Sewer mining and private access to public sector infrastructure ...

UQ Seminar:

Tuesday, 03 June 2008

Sewer Mining and Private Access to Public Sector Infrastructure

Most people don’t tend to spend their time asking who ‘owns’ our sewage. We are happy enough to flush it away and forget about it. However, sewage’s reputation is undergoing an extraordinary change. Far from being seen as a burden, it is fast becoming known as great, new resource. Entrepreneurs are fighting hard to gain access it. Some have even litigated to ensure that they get access to our effluent.

But if sewage is used by entrepreneurs and others for recycled water purposes, some important questions arise, not the least of which are: will health safeguards be sufficient and whose sewage is it anyhow?

See - Sewer Mining and Private Access to Public Sector Infrastructure.

Arrow Energy inks CSG deal with Shell ...

Excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald:

Arrow shares up 20% on $776m Shell deal

2 June 2008

Royal Dutch Shell, Europe's largest oil company, has formed a $776 million alliance with coal seam gas producer and liquefied natural gas (LNG) hopeful, Arrow Energy.

The oil giant will acquire a 30 per cent interest in Arrow's upstream tenements for an initial payment of $435 million, with a further $209 million payable upon a final investment decision and production from an LNG project in Queensland.

Arrow is one of a number of players, which include Santos Ltd and Petronas and BG Group plc and Queensland Gas Company Ltd (QGC), jostling to be involved in the development of an LNG plant at Gladstone in Qld.
...

See - Arrow shares up 20% on $776m Shell deal.

Qld wild weather - Brisbane trouble spot photos ...

See - Courier Mail - Queensland's wild weather.

Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes ...

Excerpt from Wall Street Journal:

Dubai's sewage woes

31 May 2008

Dubai - United Arab Emirates - This Persian Gulf sheikdom, in the middle of a massive building and tourism boom, has a big sewage problem.

By one estimate, some $300 billion in new projects are going up in Dubai in the next 10 years -- including the world's tallest building and a man-made archipelago of luxury homes on islands shaped like palm trees.

But Dubai's single, 30-year-old sewage-treatment plant isn't keeping up. Sewage output here is rising by 25% a year. That has officials in this city-state, one of seven emirates that make up the UAE, scrambling for innovative places to store the waste, or ways to put it to good use.

In Mirdiff, an area popular with upper- and middle-income expatriates, city officials have installed underground sewage tanks between newly built villas. The tanks are designed to store raw sewage until homes are connected to the city's main sewage system. But the tanks, which are emptied by tanker trucks two to three times a month, sometimes overflow before they are drained, residents say.

The smell is unbearable, says Egyptian Mohamed El Hady Ibrahim Salah, a company car driver. "I hate to think what it will be like in the summer heat."

At International City, a development close to the Dubai sewage plant, sewage recently overflowed into the development's streets, submerging roads and parking areas. The development, which caters to middle- and lower-income expatriates, was built by government-owned Nakheel, the same developer of the emirate's palm-shaped islands. A Nakheel spokesman says that the overflow was the result of a "surge in the sewage system" and that it has cleaned up the spill. Residents still contend with foul odors.

Every day, hundreds of tanker trucks line up for almost two miles at the three approaches to the Dubai treatment plant to dump sewage. The wait can be as long as 10 hours, drivers say.

In order to avoid the wait and processing fees, some truckers have been discharging loads onto streets of desolate areas in the city, Dubai officials say, adding that they have fined several violators.

"We're trying to educate people about the problems of doing this," says Ijaz Ahmed Thir, from the municipality's drainage and irrigation department. "We've got teams of people on the streets to impose heavy fines when they find the culprits."

Aisha al Abdooli, head of operations at Dubai's sewage-treatment department, says the city is doing all it can to cope with the rising amounts of sewage. A big expansion project to boost capacity is under way at Dubai's current plant, and a new $500 million sewage-treatment plant is being built at nearby Jebel Ali. The first phase of the new plant is scheduled to open in April 2009, and a second phase a year later.

In the meantime, Mrs. Abdooli says some of the city's excess "tertiary-treated sewage effluent" is used to water the landscaping and public gardens that now dot much of this desert city. That is shorthand for treated sewage.

"Most of the city's green areas and public parks are irrigated with this water," she says.

The practice is increasingly used in other places, but it still comes as a surprise to many Western visitors and residents, who aren't used to smelly sprinklers. There could also be health concerns if the water isn't treated properly. A Dubai Ministry of Health spokeswoman didn't respond to emailed questions about the safety of the system.

At Dubai's Arabian Ranches, a development of million-dollar homes, parents whisk children inside when the sprinkler systems start working.

"I try to keep them away from grassy areas as much as possible," says one English expatriate. The developer of the project, Emaar Properties PJSC, says it uses some of the water from the Dubai plant for irrigation, as well as treated water from its own, smaller plants.

"We are aware that the authorities have taken measures to reduce odor problems, and such measures have had some success," says an Emaar spokeswoman.

John Robins, managing director of a media group here, quickly closes the top of his convertible when he drives along a Dubai boulevard where sprinklers are watering the landscaped medians.

"It's quite nauseous," he says."

end.

K Rudd embarrassed by butler's Facebook pics ...

See - Sunday Mail - What the PM's butler saw.

Also see - Inside Stalag Kevin.