[Greens-Media] Greens say desalination is a loser for the environment and water bills

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

The desalination proposal is a loser for the environment and household 
water bills, the Greens say.

Greens environment spokesperson, Greg Barber MLC said:

"  The Bracks government's proposal for desalination is reportedly for a 
150 000 ML plant at a cost of $3 billion dollars.  Based on past 
estimates*, that would generate around 1 million tonnes of CO2."

"  One million households in Melbourne don't have a water efficient 
showerhead.  If the government paid for the installation of these, it 
would save 50 000 megalitres of water at half the cost of desalinated 
water and end up saving us money on our water bills.  That's just a start 
on the water savings that could be made."

"  This proposal is a loser for the environment, greenhouse gases and the 
household budget."

"  Boosting the renewable electricity component is no solution because we 
already need to double our renewable target and cut electricity use, not 
increase use."

*  For info on the greenhouse emissions of desalination, see:
Greenhouse implications of the proposed Sydney desalination plant 
Australia Institute Webpaper July 2005
http://www.tai.org.au/documents/downloads/WP78.pdf

Their estimate was for a 182 ML per year plant = 945 000 tonnes of eCO2 
per year.  Note this is sensitive to the 'greenhouse intensity' of the 
mix of electricity, which in the case of Victorian electricity is more 
greenhouse intensive.


-- 
Greg Barber MLC
State Member of Parliament for Northern Metropolitan
Ph: (03) 9348 2622
Facs:  (03) 9348 2699
Suite G01, 60 Leicester Street Carlton 3053






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