no desalination plant for victoria

I sent this letter to the Premier and various politicians today (see below). As our water crisis deepens we do not see leadership from our government.

We can secure water for Victoria, but desalination plants and pipelines are not a step in the right direction.

Dear Premier Brumby and other Parliamentarians,

I write to express my concern about the proposed desalination plant in Wonthaggi, Victoria. Given the environmental damage, massive greenhouse gas emissions generated from the desalination plant it is time to rethink water policy for the people of Victoria. 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.

Not keen on the idea of drinking recycled water? Perhaps it is time for a serious rethink for Melbourne.

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

Their future is looking bleak when they are sucked into the intake pipe along with 380,000 small marine organisms per second, crushed and sieved through 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 desal 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
- Conservation, recycling and sustainable sources of water are what we want.



















· With Melbourne's water capacity at only 26% and dropping, the time for rolling out the water tanks and dual-flush cisterns throughout Melbourne is NOW! The time for diverting recycled water from the Eastern Treatment Plant to the La Trobe Valley is NOW, it makes sense, it is not too expensive, your reported business case cost $3.9 billion doesn't stack up.

· The time for North-South Pipeline and large-scale Desalination is NEVER!

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.

Recycling, upgrading aging infrastructure, mandatory water sensitive design, water efficiencies/conservation, stormwater capture and water tanks 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.

This was sent to:
John Brumby, Tim Holding, Maxine Morand, Gavin Jennings, Ted Baillieu, Peter Ryan, Justin Madden, Greg Barber, Candy Broad, Peter Hall, Kaye Darveniza, Matthew Guy, David Koch, Jaala Pulford, Gordon Rich-Phillips, Philip Davis, Damian Drum, Wendy Lovell, John Lenders, Edward O'Donohue, Sue Pennicuik, Gayle Tierney, Peter Kavanagh, Brian Tee, Bob Brown, Kevin Rudd, Peter Garrett, Malcolm Turnbull, Greg Hunt, Tammy Lobato and James Merlino.