WATER VIEWS
The Claytons approach to voter contentment
The Murray Basin, through the over-allocation of surface water and groundwater for irrigation at a time of protracted drought (perhaps expressing climate change), remains a totally unresolved basket case; but lets not talk about that!
East of the Divide, Sydney’s water supply, with total available storage in the dams at about 66%, has been granted some breathing space. So our ever-caring Government has relaxed water restrictions for the Sydney metropolitan region. Yes, you may now wash your car using a trigger hose, although (thankfully!) the rest of the level 3 restrictions remain.
Concurrently, the portion of the Sydney Metropolitan Water Plan that entailed exploitation of groundwater through bore fields at Kangaloon, Leonay and Wallacia has been placed on hold. Nevertheless, aspects of the Kangaloon and Leonay developments will continue, thereby increasing the waste of public money.
What is behind these changes? The answer surely lies in the construction and operating costs of desalination and the concomitantly increasing costs of water. Even the Iemma Government realises that voters need a mild palliative to stomach the rapidly increasing water costs accompanying commitments to desalination. So toss the voters a couple of bones.
Ease water restrictions because households have responded handsomely over the past 5 years – yet the concession is negligible, verges on being an insult to the intelligence, and most certainly disregards the psychological impact that inevitably stems from any easing of restrictions. BMCS strongly believes that the original level 3 restrictions should have become permanent. Climate change and the accompanying uncertainty of rainfall patterns demand a conservative approach to water usage. Any erosion of the available storage cushion through easing restrictions and undermining householders’ hard-won lessons negates the precautionary principle.
Place the development of bore fields on hold because, as a component of the Sydney Metropolitan Water Plan, they are rendered redundant by available storage at its current level, various recycling projects, and the size of the commissioned desalination plant. Furthermore, the Government was increasingly embarrassed by the strong and sustained opposition to the Kangaloon bore field and would certainly be aware that similar campaigns would be mounted against the Leonay and Wallacia bore fields. BMCS has strongly opposed the exploitation of groundwater in these three regions on environmental grounds. Having placed the bore fields on hold, the Government would be well advised to quietly forget them!
Having considered and digested the bones, one can’t help wondering whether our ‘insightful’ Government would prefer dam levels to fall and householders to be more profligate in order to justify the ongoing costs of an expensive desalination plant and its energy-intensive high-cost product.
Ah NSW! The State of Incompetence!
Hopeless one day; worse the next.