The Network: Do not sign contracts for the Victorian Desalination Plant!

Saturday 4 July 2009

Do not sign contracts for the Victorian Desalination Plant!

Dead penguin at the "pre-construction" construction site

of the proposed Wonthaggi desalination plant

Thanks to Networker Maurice for the photo.

Have received this from Networker Maggie

in relation to the Wonthaggi desalination plant proposal. Onya, Maggie!

For further information please visit the following sites:

Victorian Desalination Plant

Wonthaggi Desalination Plant

Watershed Victoria

Clean Ocean Foundation

Bass Coast Boardriders Club

Dear Friends
yes I am still on the anti desal - pro recycle -recapture campaign!!

If you could take a minute to read the letter below that in itself will be enough

However if you happen to agree or Know others who might be interested in getting the "real" debate on these issues going I would be forever grateful. Please pass the letter on to as many interested citizens as possible.

ps - if Connex/Veolia got the boot ONLY because of its appalling "track" (pardon the pun) record I will eat my hat ! I suggest to you friends that the Brumby govt has bowed to pressure from the international community in response to Veolia's Human Rights Abuses in Palestine and subsequent loss of contracts in many European countries the US & UK

However Veolia Transport may be going out one door and Veolia Water may be coming in another!!!

YOU can bet that if V get the contract to control our water - your 7.15 shower may be cancelled or late but your inflated water bills will be on time EVERY time!!

so please consider...

Solidarity folks

Maggie

Dear Premier Brumby and Colleagues,

Do not sign contracts for the Victorian Desalination Plant!
I recently read Kenneth Davidson's article in the Age, http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/water-policy-delivers-scary-possibilities-20090624-cwpw.html, and am outraged that the government could even consider signing a 30-year contract, with either of these global 'water barons' - Veolia/Connex and Degremont/Suez - who are losing favour in Europe, the UK, and the USA. Australia, as always a little behind the 8-ball, is still clinging to the 80's concept of "biggest is best"! Clearly the Global Financial Crisis has made Public Private Partnerships particularly vulnerable and too insecure for sensible consideration.

Obviously the private partner in a PPP would be wanting to create a contract enabling their company to profit….how does this benefit the rate-payer?
The Victorian Government does not have a mandate to include desalination in its water plan – they categorically rejected it before the last election.
They did prepare a comprehensive plan to recycle water from the Eastern Treatment plant, at the taxpayers’ expense, however, which would reduce the effluent outflow at Gunnamatta.
That environmentally sustainable, affordable project has virtually been abandoned without consultation with the Victorian community.
Together with minimal flows from the North-South Pipeline, the increased volumes of water coming into Melbourne would put added strain on an already inadequate and antiquated sewage and drainage infrastructure, already at risk of further flooding with extreme weather events predicted with climate change! http://www.melbourne.org.au/static/files/assets/07912006/Committee_for_Melbourne FUTUREMAP_240708_high_res.pdf
The expense of desalination would rule out a long overdue overhaul of Melbourne's drainage, the flushing of polluted waterways and sustainable water alternatives, like recycling, and storm water catchment.
Your plans to take water from the beautiful Bass Coast and the struggling Murray Darling Basin, but continue to allow effluent to flow out to sea at Gunnamatta, are heartless and irrational.
With Melbourne's water capacity close to 25% and dropping, the time for rolling out the water tanks on an industrial scale, is NOW! The time for recycling and storm water capture is ASAP! The time for North-South Pipeline and large-scale Desalination is NEVER!