Desalination 'only solution' for water
8:00a.m. 3rd September 2006
By PETER GARDINER
DESALINATION is the only solution to securing the Sunshine Coasts short-term water needs, according to Noosa mayor Bob Abbot.
Mr Abbot told a Save the Mary River protest rally in Noosaville yesterday that distilling fresh water from the sea went against his principles but it was a far better and cheaper alternative to building dams.
I think we have to look at building one in the next couple of years possibly at the northern end of Bribie Island, Mr Abbot said.
The state government and Gold Coast council have committed $100 million for the initial stages of a desalination plant, with a pilot plant the first step to boosting water supplies.
A fully operational plant would produce 120 megalitres of water a day.
If you build that (capacity on the Sunshine Coast) and raise the wall of the Borumba Dam you would be laughing, Mr Abbot said.
Whatever it costs it would not cost as much as building a dam.
I dont think desalination is environmentally practical unfortunately its probably the only option weve got left at the moment because weve grown at the rate we have.
Mr Abbot said not even a desalination plant could secure the Coasts water needs unless governments did something to halt the mass population growth in south-east Queensland.
The mayor said the billions of dollars earmarked for the Traveston Crossing Dam and other schemes should be also put towards directing migration to regional centres away from the Coast to bolster inland regional economies.
He also urged the hundreds who turned out for the rally to kick in for $500,000 needed to fight the Traveston dam in the courts.
This issue may well go as far as the High Court to beat it. Im prepared to go there with the Save the Mary River group and Im sure most of you are too.
This could well be another Franklin Dam it may well be the end of dam building in Australia at this level.
Save the Mary River Coordination Group spokesman Alan Sheridan said the state government needed to look at all alternatives.
Mr Sheridan said desalination was one option along with recycling and possibly dams in appropriate places.
This is damming a river on an alluvial flood plan its absolutely ludicrous, Mr Sheridan said.
Sunshine Coast Environment Council campaigner Scott Alderson said the rally was about sending out a message that the community did not want a dam.
Mr Alderson said he had not given up hope of Premier Peter Beattie changing his mind on the dam.
Member for Noosa Cate Molloy also spoke at the rally, reinforcing her opposition to the dam which saw her disendorsed as a Labor candidate.
