30 September 2008

Attention:
Ms Kathryn Mitchell
Planning Panels Victoria – Victorian Desalination Project
Level 1
8 Nicholson Street
East Melbourne, Vic 3002

Desalination Project - Public Inquiry

Dear Madam

This submission is on behalf of Your Water Your Say Action Group Incorporated (YWYS).
As a result of the inability of the State and Federal Governments to make a decision as to whether they will pursue YWYS for court costs, which will determine in effect whether or not YWYS is to wind up, we are presently in an operational ‘holding pattern’.
Consequently, we are prevented from making a meaningful submission to this important inquiry.

The State Government announced on June 19th 2007 that this desalination plant “will be built” on the Bass Coast. Since that time they have espoused claims of “consulting” with the community and listening to their concerns. The State Government claims it supports the community to fully participate in the EES process but their failure to make a decision on the issue of court costs has meant that YWYS is effectively excluded from the very process they encourage us to engage in.
For the benefit of the Inquiry on June 13th 2008 Justice Heerey awarded costs to the Federal and State Governments a result of the action - Your Water Your Say v Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts & Anor; Federal Court Proceeding VID188/2008.
Since that time the State Government has been unable to decide what their course of action will be on the pursuit of costs against YWYS front.

Since its inception in 1978 the EES process was intended to inform decision makers to enable them to make decisions in full knowledge of the environmental consequences of a particular project. Given our present holding pattern constraints we would like to but cannot present to you a substantive submission on the fundamental flaw in the Victorian Desalination Project process, that the Government has declared at the outset that the plant “will be built” without any environmental studies having been completed.

In the result, the State Government has therefore turned the EES process on its head and undermined the value and integrity of the EES process itself. The process has been manipulated to achieve a pre-determined outcome and would highlight the following community concerns:

• The process deliberately excludes community involvement. Thirty working days for a community to evaluate 1600 pages of technical information is an impossible task.
• No financial support has been made available to the community to gain expert assistance in this process.
• The objectives of the Panel fail to allow a rigorous analysis as most are framed to “avoid or minimise to the extent practicable.”
• Land has been compulsorily acquired and the project has commenced before the Panel has even met thus pre-empting the Panel process.
• There is no provision for peer review of the “consultant” reports.
• Discussion of more cost effective or environmentally sustainable solutions are excluded from the Inquiry.
• Discussion of alternative sites is excluded from the Inquiry. The Federal and State Governments are aware that YWYS is unlikely to be in a position to pay its significant legal costs and hence their apparent inability to make a decision on this front can only be interpreted as an attempt to further avoid community scrutiny of this project.

YWYS urges the Panel to restore the EES process to its correct sequence and ensure there is a thorough and independent examination of all the environmental consequences of this project. YWYS further urges the Panel to exercise their discretion and expand the scope of the inquiry to fully explore two critical issues that have been deliberately excluded from the review - alternative water augmentation options for Melbourne and potential alternative sites for the plant outside the Wonthaggi-Kilcunda area.

We urge the Panel to restore some degree of faith in the EES process.

Yours sincerely,

Andrea Bolch
President
Your Water Your Say Action Group Incorporated.

C/O Kilcunda Post Office
Kilcunda 3995
abolch@austarnet.com.au
PH: 0400 065 253

Little wonder we have disasters such as the Brooklands Green estate development in Cranbourne. But at least what is going on here cannot remain hidden. Not so with water — the stench isn’t so obvious.

Please read on in The Age - Water policy is based on flawed figures

go to the Clean Ocean Foundation’s website www.cleanocean.org

or write an email to Anton and ask for a copy of the report info@cleanocean.org

YOUR WATER “NO” SAY

DECISIVE GOVERNMENT NOT SO DECISIVE !

What: Silent vigil /rally to welcome Minister Tim Holding to
Wonthaggi.
When: Thursday 4th September 2008 @ 9 am.
Where: DSE Desalination Project office in McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi (opposite the whalebone hotel)
Who: Your Water Your Say Action Group Inc.
Why: Minister Tim Holding is visiting Wonthaggi to meet with YWYS. The focus of the discussion and the vigil is that for over 2 months the State & Federal Governments appear unable or unwilling to make a decision as to whether they will pursue YWYS for court costs.
Why? The effect of no decision effectively silences the community group as they are now unable to continue to campaign or participate in the EES process. Is this democracy in action?
For a decisive government, why can’t they make a decision?

Photo opportunities: Available at the event

END

For more information contact:
Name: Andrea Bolch
Phone: 0400 065 253
Email: abolch@austarnet.com.au

Name: Chris Heislers
Phone: 0419 556 381
Email: heislers@netspace.net.au

The report will warn that if desalination became the primary source of supplying around 300 litres per person per day, energy use would rise by 400 per cent above today’s levels.

The Age - 30 Aug 08 - Water plant to guzzle energy

Although he refused to comment on the reports, Professor Coombes confirmed his work showed a tank in each Melbourne household could deliver a city-wide 120 gigalitres a year, more than twice previous estimates by water supplier Melbourne Water.

The Age - 25 August 08 - Desal and water tank wars

The risk of producing water under these flexible conditions defies belief without a lucrative quid pro quo. A private consortium would build and operate the proposed desal plant without a take or pay contract only if it was given management of Melbourne Water and entitlement to the profits. It is possible to develop a scenario where the desal operator is given control of the water market in the whole state.

Please continue in The Age - 25 August 08 - State Government’s arguments for desalination plant don’t hold water

Bass Coast Shire Council, 76 McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi, VIC 3995 | www.basscoast.vic.gov.au

21 August 2008
EES ASSISTANCE NEEDED

Bass Coast Shire Council and the Your Water Your Say action group are calling on the community to help respond to the Environment Effects Statement (EES).
The EES was released on 20 August 2008 and submissions must be lodged by 30 September2008.

Bass Coast Shire Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Allan Bawden, confirmed that Council would work closely with Your Water Your Say (YWYS) to prepare their response. “The EES is a massive document of 1,600 pages and over 80 technical reports,” said Mr Bawden. “To undertake a detailed study of the EES is a massive task and we will work closely with the action group to make the best use of available resources.”

Mr Bawden said there was an important role for the community to play in preparing the submission. “Individuals can make their own submissions,” said Mr Bawden. “But we are also hoping that there are people in the community who would be able to help Council and YWYS with their submissions. “People may have a particular area of expertise, such as engineering or the marine environment,” explained Mr Bawden. “For others, it could be their knowledge of the local area that would be invaluable.
“If you are interested in the project and have time available to be part of the working group, we would be very eager to hear from you.”

If you are interested in assisting Council, then please call Ella Godbold on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or email e.godbold@basscoast.vic.gov.au.

A hard copy of the EES is on display at the Bass Coast Civic Centre, 76 McBride Avenue,Wonthaggi.

Hard copies of the EES are also on display at the Desalination Project Office in Wonthaggi.
Office hours at the Project Office have been extended to five days a week during the exhibition period.
Copies are also available on CD and online at www.ourwater.vic.gov.au.
Hard copies can be purchased from the DSE Desalination Project Team by phoning 1800 811 214 or 5671 3900,
or by emailing desalination.project@dse.vic.gov.au.

END