Friends of the Earth (FoE) has joined rural groups in expressing disappointment at the completion of the 'major works' phase of the North South pipeline.
media release 26th August 2009
Friends of the Earth (FoE) has joined rural groups in expressing disappointment at the completion of the 'major works' phase of the North South pipeline.
"As we have stated all along, the twin components of the state government's current water policy - the North South pipeline and desalination plant - will lock Victoria into a high impact and incredibly expensive future" said FoE campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker. "The combined costs of these projects will greatly undermine our ability to invest in more sustainable and more sensible options like capture of stormwater, rainwater tanks and complete recycling of the water currently being pumped to sea at Gunnamatta".
"The fires of February 2009 will impact on the Goulburn system for many years and climate science tells us we must expect more of these type of events. This will mean reduced flow into our rivers. Our inland river systems are already incredibly stressed, and the Goulburn is in the worst state of any sub catchment in the Murray Darling Basin. Any water saved through irrigation efficiencies must be for environmental flow and other uses north of the divide. Melbourne has many options to meet its current and future water needs in a way that creates far more jobs at far less cost than the desalination plant and pipeline. It is a tragedy that the government has, against the weight of public opinion, pushed ahead with such an expensive and flawed 'mega project' approach to seeking solutions to the water crisis".
Further comment: Cam Walker 0419 338 047