Watershed Victoria

Dear Premier Brumby and other Parliamentarians,

I write to express my concern about the proposed desalination plant in Wonthaggi, Victoria.

 Given the environmental damage and massive greenhouse gas emissions generated from a desalination plant of this magnitude, it is time to rethink water policy for the people of Victoria.

 You’re not keen on the idea of drinking recycled water? Well perhaps it is time to consider what you are proposing to drink….

 The offspring and feedstock of the sea creatures listed below, and some of the creatures themselves (penguins, salmon trout, crayfish, gulls) are small enough to fit through the grate at the end of the 4-metre wide intake pipe of the proposed Desalination Plant.

Whales  Dolphins  Penguins  Octopus Seals Salmon  Crayfish

Along with 380,000 small marine organisms per second, they would be crushed and sieved through your potential drinking water, then dumped as landfill, at 50 tonnes per day.

 Adding to this environmental devastation will be 8000 litres of toxic effluent per second, discharged onto a rock platform, now abundant with marine life, just 1km off the now pristine Williamson’s Beach.

 Just a few kilometres around the coast from Williamsons Beach, where the government plans to build the desalination plant, is this……

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=75

the magnificent Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park.

Mr Brumby and other members of the Victorian ALP,

• You didn’t announce desalination before the last election, in fact your leader of the time said “Recycling and conservation will secure Melbourne’s water supply … The energy generation [of a desalination plant] is enormous, the intrusion on the community is enormous and, of course, it’s extraordinarily expensive … really, what a hoax it is. We’re into long term solutions.”
• You haven’t released a business case
• You didn’t test it against alternatives during the EES
•  You don’t have a mandate
•   It will add to climate change & pollute our precious coastline

 Compounding the water crisis is the lack of water flow for the nearly completed North South Pipeline and the continued loss of water from years of logging in Melbourne’s water catchments.

 What we want from government is sensible water policy to secure Melbourne’s future water supply. 

No pipeline, no desal plant, no logging our water catchments. 

Stormwater capture and water tanks, recycling, upgrading aging infrastructure, mandatory water sensitive design, water efficiencies/conservation, are our water future.

I urge the Victorian Government to abandon its poorly devised ‘Water Plan’.

Do not sign contracts for the Victorian Desalination Plant. I look forward to your response to these matters I have raised.

Signed,