[Greens-Media] Iemma needs to make desal advice public or lose credibility

[John Kaye]

Iemma needs to make desal advice public or lose credibility
 
Media Release: 18 June 2007
 
Premier Morris Iemma’s claim that the Kurnell desalination plant is a
good investment in the future despite heavy rains in the catchment does
not stand up to scrutiny, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: “The Premier’s headlong rush to build a desalination
plant regardless of rising storage levels has reached high farce, with
claims that this plant is a long term water supply option.
 
“This is dangerous nonsense with potentially disastrous economic
consequences.
 
“The desalination plant is a very expensive way of supplying water that
would cost about $1.40 a kilolitre. It was always meant to be only an
emergency supply option that could be rapidly constructed when water
supplies fell to dangerously low levels. 
 
“Asserting that it is a good investment has little credibility. There
are no documents on the government’s Water for Life website[1] that
support building desalination when water storage levels are above 40%
and increasing.
 
“If the Premier has advice that a desalination plant is a
cost-effective long term supply option, then he should put it into the
public domain where we can all see it.  
 
“The challenge for the Premier is to name the storage level at which he
would stop progress on the desalination plant. If it is not 45% or 50%,
then is at 70% or 80%?
 
“Building a desalination plant now is like buying travel insurance
after you have returned home.
 
“The Premier this weekend has taken this absurd proposition one step
further by saying that you should buy travel insurance years before you
might want to leave home.
 
“Sydney’s water storages are expected to reach over 45% by the end of
the week with the strong possibility of further rains taking it to 50%.
This is well above the 30% trigger level at which the government’s own
water management plan said construction on the plant should begin.
 
 “The Premier is trying to lock this city into a $2 billion white
elephant. It is not too late to put this project on ice but we are
rapidly approaching the point of no return,” Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information:       John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: John.Kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000