[Greens-Media] MARK PARNELL MLC: Desal EIS inevitable, but big questions remain

[Parnell]

Media Release
Thursday 17th April, 2008

Desal EIS inevitable, but big questions remain

	
Declaring the Port Stanvac desalination project a 'major development'
was inevitable, but places the project beyond the control of the local
community, says Greens MLC and planning lawyer Mark Parnell.

"On the plus side, the Government will now be forced to undertake a
formal Environmental Impact Statement process.  On the down side, the
approval becomes even more a political decision and the Government can
safely ignore any inconvenient zoning or other planning rules.  Major
Development status will now protect the project from any legal challenge
on environmental or other grounds," he said.

"This decision was inevitable, because declaring a project a "major
development" is the only way to trigger a formal Environmental Impact
Statement.  It is inconceivable that a project like this could get
through without an EIS.

"Certainly, major questions remain over the Port Stanvac site that the
EIS will have to address.  A number of South Australian marine
scientists have publicly expressed their concerns about the lack of
tidal flow and appropriate flushing in St Vincents Gulf.  We also know,
through Freedom of Information, that the state's Environment Department
wasn't consulted over the Port Stanvac site.

"The Government is going to have to work very hard to prove to the South
Australian public that Port Stanvac is the best location on the SA coast
for a desal plant," he said.
 

Three major questions that the EIS will need to address:

1.	Why isn't the Government committing to powering the
energy-hungry desalination plant with 100% new renewable energy, like
the NSW Government has done?

2.      Will the contract with the private operator contain 'take or
pay' type clauses which require the Government to keep paying for water
even if our dams are overflowing (These clauses exist in the contract
signed by the NSW Government)?

3.	Why wasn't the State's Environment Department, which contains
the leading coastal and marine experts within Government, formally
consulted on the preferred site for a desalination plant before Port
Stanvac was chosen?

 

	
For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893

	
 


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