[Greens-Media] Dams at 64% and rising: Iemma's desal panic looking more silly

[John Kaye]

Dams at 64% and rising: Iemma's desal panic looking more silly
 
Media Release: 7 February 2008
 
The last week has seen Sydney's water storages rise by a massive 3%, putting yet more pressure on the Iemma government to stop work on the Kurnell desalination plant, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: "A week of good rains has boosted Warragamba and the other dams from 61% to 64% full.
 
"If this rain continues for another 12 weeks, the dams will begin overflowing.
 
"Given that the Bureau of Meteorology is now forecasting another 6 months of wet weather, the desalination plant is likely to come on stream at a time when Sydney's storages are full.
 
"The contract with operators of the $2 billion plant stipulates that it must be run at full capacity for a two year proving period.
 
"Premier Iemma's appalling lapse of judgement in going ahead with the plant before the storages fell to 30% means that Sydney residents could well be paying for the operations of the desalination plant while water is flowing over the spillway at Warragamba dam.
 
"Even if the rains were to stop now, and we returned to the severe drought of the previous 5 years, storage levels would remain above 30% until at least 2013.
 
"The Premier should swallow his pride and admit he was wrong.
 
"It is time to put the Kurnell plant on ice, pay the penalty costs to the contractors and save the expense of completing and running it when it is not needed.
 
"If the construction continues, residents could well end up paying for expensive desalinated water while watching the natural product flow over the Warragamba spillway," 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
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000