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Jun 29
Click on here to download the latest update of our Desalination Info as a pdf
Summary of Victoriaʼs proposed Desalination Project.
Victoria has a significant water security problem, however desalination is a regressive short term band-aid solution that will perpetuate the problem that it is intended to solve! There are better alternatives.
The proposed WATER FACTORY is the largest infrastructure project in Victoria!s history that will have far reaching and dramatic effects for all of Australia, and indeed the world.
It will spoil a wild and magnificent heritage listed coastline via a factory the size of the MCG up to 20 metres high, and possibly a new gas-fired power station to power it!
It will threaten marine communities including that of the nearby Phillip Island Penguins, one of the nation’s most important and internationally recognised natural attractions.
The threat to the marine environment is largely due to;
• the discharge of 7000 litres of effluent per SECOND into the ocean comprising concentrated brine, heavy metals and toxic chemicals such as chlorine that all kill ecosystems.
• sucking in and killing 300 000 small organisms per SECOND; the base of the food chain, with obvious flow on effects to fisheries, the adjacent marine national park, penguin reserve and RAMSAR wetland.
But MOST importantly, it will be a CLIMATE CHANGE NIGHTMARE. The proposed plant will produce up to a massive 1 000 000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. While there are environmentally friendlier alternatives, this is absolutely irresponsible and incongruous with recent federal government commitments to reducing emissions by 60% by 2050!
Ironically, it is carbon emissions that increase climate change that reduce rainfall that is driving Government’s misguided decision to pursue desalination, resulting in this lunatic and irresponsible vicious cycle.
Continue reading Desalination Information Update 22June08 »
Mar 05
Fact Sheet on Desalination – Your Water Your Say
The Government is proposing to build a 3.2 billion dollar desalination plant on Williamson’s beach near Wonthaggi. This project is the most expensive solution for Melbourne water users and the most damaging to our environment.
Benefit:
The plant will produce approximately 150 GL of water each year. To put this figure in some perspective, 500 GL of Storm water runs into Port Phillip Bay each year – more than half of this could be collected.
Costs:
The Plant will:
• Be responsible for the production of up to 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses per year. Global warming has contributed to our water problems and the government’s response will compound this problem.
• Industrialise and destroy a pristine piece of Victoria’s coastline that is of such scenic significance it is listed on the Register of National Estate and is adjacent to marine parks including a National Park, Phillip Island Penguin Reserve and a RAMSAR wetland.
• Pump approximately 7,000 litres per second of a briny cocktail, containing chemicals including heavy metals, with obvious consequences for sea life and ecosystems.
• Destroy approximately 300,000 small non-motile organisms (molluscs, algae, larvae, fish eggs and other marine life) per second in the intake pipe. This will have serious consequences for the biomass of the water in the area with possible consequences for fish, penguins, seals, dolphins etc.
• Produce approximately 30 truckloads of toxic waste each week.
• Dramatically increase the cost of water to consumers. This water will cost at least three times as much as water from the rest of Melbourne Water’s infrastructure.
• Compound water problems as there is a profit motive to encourage water use rather than water conservation.
Alternatives
The World Bank has advised that “desalination should remain the last resort, and should only be applied after cheaper alternatives in terms of supply and demand management have carefully been considered.â€
Before desalination, the government should act to:
• Support the rollout of rainwater tanks to 65% of homes over the next 3 years (fewer than 6% of Melbourne houses had a rain water tank at the last census and rain water tanks are five times more energy efficient than desalination plants).
• Increase water recycling especially for industry (Coal-fired power stations in Latrobe Valley use 130 billion litres of drinking water for cooling – same potential of the Eastern Treatment Plant not to mention Werribee etc).
• Implement storm-water capture and re-use (As mentioned Melbourne allows over 500 Gl storm-water to run into the bay every year, experts claim we can easily capture at least half of this).
• Upgrade water infrastructure (11% of Australia’s urban water is lost through leaky pipes).
• Institute water restrictions and water education programs (Melbourne has reduced water use by 20% over past year but still relatively a high per capita user at 280 litres per day, compared to140 in South East Queensland and Europe).
• Stop logging in catchment areas. The State Government strategic Water Review of 2002 revealed that 30 GL of water would be saved if logging ceased in the Thompson and Yarra Catchments.
• Consider all other alternatives including the Nationals Discussion Paper on establishing a water substitution target and the Tasmanian Pipe proposal.
“The desal plant makes no sense unless the Brumby Government’s priority is to shovel hundreds of millions of dollars into the palm of whichever consortium wins the PPP beauty contest for an environmentally ugly and economically wasteful projectâ€. Kenneth Davidson The Age Dec 10, 2007
Feb 25
Please take your time to read this article that Chris Heislers wrote for FOE about why desalination is not the answer to our water management problems.
download - Desalination/Climate Change article for Friends of the Earth
24/2/2008
Victoria’s proposed DESALINATION plant;
an energy guzzling, climate changing, ecosystem altering water factory.
Author; Chris Heislers (www.yourwateryoursay.org) Contact; 0419 556381
In reference to rainfall, 2006 was a horrible year; our worst recorded year, yielding only 165 Gl as inflow to Melbourneʼs catchments compared with the previous 10 yearsʼ average of 453 Gl. In an apparent panic response to the terrible year for rainfall that was 2006 (though there have been other bad years; 1997, 1982 and 1967 all yielding little more than 200 Gl each (1)), exacerbated by the fact that Victoriaʼs state government had done far too little in the preceding years despite warnings of reducing rainfall, government performed an inexplicable backflip in policy; ignoring much of its own applauded 2004 white paper “Securing Our Water Future Together†(2), and placing an internationally and unanimously declared last resort as the primary option to securing Melbourneʼs water future; desalination, the most expensive, environmentally damaging, greenhouse-gas producing option of them all (11).
To the detriment of us all, the decision opposes two of the key statements in Governmentʼs White Paper:
“The Victorian Government is aiming to achieve the sustainable management of water.â€
“We canʼt create more water – we need to use it more wisely.â€
Recent warnings of a worst-case global warming scenario must prompt a rethink of this regressive and ill advised decision. Government has an opportunity to establish a truly sustainable approach to water use within Melbourne. Unlike other areas in the world and despite our reducing rainfall, Victoria does not have a problem with current or near future water supply. However, we do have a problem of misuse of the water that is available to us. With conservation measures, water reuse at the point of use and prudent recycling from our major waste water treatment plants we can secure our water future by water that is supplied by natural systems.
The proposed water factory will produce 150 Gl water per year, upgradable to 200 Gl. Melbourne currently uses approximately 380 Gl per year. At present, 450 Gl of urban storm water and 150 Gl of treated waste water runs into Melbourneʼs bays and Bass Strait. Independent expert water authorities conï¬rm that at least half of the storm water, and most of the treated water can be easily collected and reused, at less economic and environmental cost than the proposed water factory.
Why spend a fortune on a climate / environment threatening new factory to suck the water back, when we have the opportunity to stop it running out in the ï¬rst place?
Continue reading Desalination/Climate Change article for Friends of the Earth »
Jan 27
Summary of Victoriaʼs proposed Desalination Plant
Victoria has a signiï¬cant water security problem, however desalination is a regressive short term band-aid solution that will perpetuate the problem that it is intended to solve! There are better alternatives.
The proposed WATER FACTORY is the largest infrastructure project in Victoriaʼs history that will have far reaching and dramatic effects for all of Australia, and indeed the world.
It will spoil a wild and magniï¬cent heritage listed coastline via a 5-storey factory the size of the MCG, and possibly a new gas-ï¬red power station to power it!
It will threaten marine communities including that of the nearby Phillip Island Penguins, one of the nationʼs most important and internationally recognised natural attractions.
The threat to the marine environment is largely due to;
• the discharge of 7000 litres of effluent per SECOND into the ocean comprising concentrated brine, heavy metals and toxic chemicals such as chlorine that all kill ecosystems.
• sucking in and killing 300 000 small organisms per SECOND; the base of the food chain, with obvious flow on effects to ï¬sheries, the adjacent marine national park, penguin reserve and RAMSAR wetland.
But MOST importantly, it will be a CLIMATE CHANGE NIGHTMARE. The proposed plant will produce an estimated massive 1 000 000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. While there are environmentally friendlier alternatives, this is absolutely irresponsible and incongruous with recent federal government commitments to reducing emissions by 60% by 2050!
Ironically, it is carbon emissions that increase climate change that reduce rainfall that is driving Governmentʼs misguided decision to pursue desalination, resulting in this lunatic and irresponsible vicious cycle.
Internationally and at home, independent water and environment experts unanimously agree that desalination must be a last resort.
Continue reading Desalination Information Summary »
Dec 31
Please find an electronic copy of our penguin brochure.
Follow the link and enlarge the image, if necessary, by clicking on it.
In the news ...
Community Consultation & Information
Environmental Effects Study
Watch our youtube videos, Listen to the radio links and get interested!
- youtube - Desal Protest - My Tribute To Those That Care Higher Quality
- Transcript of Friday’s (20 June 08) ABC Stateline Victoria - Kathy Bowlen interviews Councilor Garteh Barlow
- ABC Gippsland - Camping out for a cause
- ABC - 7:30 Report - Tim Flannery reflects on 2007
- Bob Brown -youtube video from Kilcunda
Featured
Latest Posts
- 1st December 08 - final settlement for court costs
- Desalination Project Public Inquiry - Your Water Your Say - Submission
- The Age - 25 September 08 - Water policy is based on flawed figures
- Water Smart ‘Water Supply - Demand Strategy for Melbourne (Water Substitution) April 2006 - on Clean Ocean website
- 3rd September - YOUR WATER “NO†SAY
- The Age - 30 Aug 08 - Water plant to guzzle energy
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