Post by ppyenews on Jul 29, 2006 21:24:38 GMT -5
Welcome to ‘Talkback Topic’ – I’m Phillip Pye.
Water is a valuable resource in Australia, so much so that there is a powerful stream of advocates desperately attempting to find methods of saving it, finding it, keeping it, and now recycling it. Toowoomba in Queensland’s South East this weekend just gone had a vote on the issue of recycled water. Toowoomba residents were asked to approve a plan to draw 25 per cent of the city's water from recycled effluent. With 52,000 of 60,000 votes counted, 62 per cent of residents have voted against the proposal. The Mayor of Toowoomba, Di Thorley, says the case for water recycling in Australia has been dealt a severe blow as a result of yesterday's poll.
However Premier Peter Beattie says a referendum on the issue will be held in 2008 coinciding with the local government elections in March. Residents living in areas from Gympie, south to the Gold Coast, and west to Toowoomba will vote. Premier Beattie says the use of recycled water is an option that must be considered but claims the water would only be used if they had an Armageddon situation even if the referendum voted 'yes'. Greg Hallam, from the Queensland Local Government Association, says the referendum is being held too late. He says that 2008 is not a viable option and does not allow time for further development of projects. The Queensland Local Government Association supports the Lord Mayor's view that it has to be now or never."
The Federal Opposition says that the vote on using recycled water in the south-east Queensland town of Toowoomba will have national implications. Labor's water spokesman Anthony Albanese was hoping they would vote 'yes' and send a message to the nation. He says "It's something that we need to get into the national psyche because climate change will mean less water, perhaps on a permanent basis.”It will send an important signal that water is now regarded as a precious resource."
Parliamentary Secretary for Water Malcolm Turnbull says a 'yes' vote would have been the right decision. Mr. Turnbull says while it will not determine what happens elsewhere in Australia, other water starved communities were watching closely for the outcome. Mr. Turnbull claims he has drunk recycled water on many occasions, and says the reality is that you have to judge water by its quality not its history. Mr Turnbull says opponents of water recycling have run a scare campaign. "It's been based more on emotion rather than science," he said. The Federal Government were to fund part of the project if it got local support.
Premier Peter Beattie says the Toowoomba vote would have a big impact on his proposal to pipe treated effluent into Brisbane's drinking water. Planned indirect potable uses have occurred for many years - with no known health issues. Many utilities worldwide deliberately mimic Nature by recycling through technology. An example is the’Orange County Water District in the USA’s California where injected treated reclaimed water has been added to the groundwater aquifer since 1976 and now provides drinking water for around 2 million people.
The sad fact of it all is that the method of recycling effluent is proven to be successful however the issue has ended up as a viable political punching bag. Other areas in Australia have desperate water shortages heightened by global warming and potentially increased drought problems. Something has to be done and fairly quickly. The scenario of educating people to restrict its uses is an old and tired campaign that no longer reaps rewards.
I’m Phillip Pye.
Water is a valuable resource in Australia, so much so that there is a powerful stream of advocates desperately attempting to find methods of saving it, finding it, keeping it, and now recycling it. Toowoomba in Queensland’s South East this weekend just gone had a vote on the issue of recycled water. Toowoomba residents were asked to approve a plan to draw 25 per cent of the city's water from recycled effluent. With 52,000 of 60,000 votes counted, 62 per cent of residents have voted against the proposal. The Mayor of Toowoomba, Di Thorley, says the case for water recycling in Australia has been dealt a severe blow as a result of yesterday's poll.
However Premier Peter Beattie says a referendum on the issue will be held in 2008 coinciding with the local government elections in March. Residents living in areas from Gympie, south to the Gold Coast, and west to Toowoomba will vote. Premier Beattie says the use of recycled water is an option that must be considered but claims the water would only be used if they had an Armageddon situation even if the referendum voted 'yes'. Greg Hallam, from the Queensland Local Government Association, says the referendum is being held too late. He says that 2008 is not a viable option and does not allow time for further development of projects. The Queensland Local Government Association supports the Lord Mayor's view that it has to be now or never."
The Federal Opposition says that the vote on using recycled water in the south-east Queensland town of Toowoomba will have national implications. Labor's water spokesman Anthony Albanese was hoping they would vote 'yes' and send a message to the nation. He says "It's something that we need to get into the national psyche because climate change will mean less water, perhaps on a permanent basis.”It will send an important signal that water is now regarded as a precious resource."
Parliamentary Secretary for Water Malcolm Turnbull says a 'yes' vote would have been the right decision. Mr. Turnbull says while it will not determine what happens elsewhere in Australia, other water starved communities were watching closely for the outcome. Mr. Turnbull claims he has drunk recycled water on many occasions, and says the reality is that you have to judge water by its quality not its history. Mr Turnbull says opponents of water recycling have run a scare campaign. "It's been based more on emotion rather than science," he said. The Federal Government were to fund part of the project if it got local support.
Premier Peter Beattie says the Toowoomba vote would have a big impact on his proposal to pipe treated effluent into Brisbane's drinking water. Planned indirect potable uses have occurred for many years - with no known health issues. Many utilities worldwide deliberately mimic Nature by recycling through technology. An example is the’Orange County Water District in the USA’s California where injected treated reclaimed water has been added to the groundwater aquifer since 1976 and now provides drinking water for around 2 million people.
The sad fact of it all is that the method of recycling effluent is proven to be successful however the issue has ended up as a viable political punching bag. Other areas in Australia have desperate water shortages heightened by global warming and potentially increased drought problems. Something has to be done and fairly quickly. The scenario of educating people to restrict its uses is an old and tired campaign that no longer reaps rewards.
I’m Phillip Pye.