It’s safe, reliable and affordable says Mayor

In her final address to Toowoomba residents before the water poll, Mayor Dianne Thorley restated that all viable options were being used.

“Water Futures is a total water management program. It utilises three dams, numerous bores, including into the Great Artesian Basin, rainwater tanks, WaterWise and water recycling,” Cr Thorley said.

“If the State and Federal Governments, or the Council, thought there were any alternative options we would be doing them,” she said. “We really have no choice but to recycle. We need the water.”

Like Premier Peter Beattie, Cr Thorley said recycling is a sound and sensible climate independent solution to the water shortage issues Toowoomba faces. “There are only three questions people need to ask before they cast their vote on Saturday,” she said.

“Is the water safe? Yes it is. I would not put my children, my grandchildren or this community’s health at risk. The water we produce will be pure enough to use in dialysis, which is far superior quality than the water we drink now.

“We will use state-of-the-art technology capable of instantaneously shutting down and alerting us the second there is loss in pressure or if the system is compromised in any way,” Cr Thorley said.

“Is the water reliable? The answer is yes, 100%. Water Futures is significantly more reliable than any other option. The Parsons Brinckerhoff Report released by the Premier last week backed up this position,” she said.

We’ve looked at other options: water from Wivenhoe Dam, swaps with irrigators in the west, near Norwin and throughout the Condamine Alluviums. These options are unsustainable.

“The Opposition has been giving false hopes to the community about the availability of this water. Bore water out west needs treatment, it is over allocated and the cost of bringing it here is prohibitive.

“Coal Seam Gas was seriously considered, however the reliability of the water is highly uncertain,” she said. “We cannot spend many millions of ratepayers’ money to build a plant and pipelines only to discover that there is not enough water to begin with or that it runs out after only a short period of time.

“In the news yesterday was confirmation from the company doing the desal’ for Dalby that Coal Seam Gas water is extremely difficult to treat, so it’s no good to us. “And don’t even get me started on the dam at Emu Creek,” Cr Thorley said. “Brisbane needs all the water that goes down Emu Creek to fill Wivenhoe Dam, which is already below 29%.”

Finally, people should ask is it affordable, said the Mayor.

“Water should be for everyone,” she said. “The Parsons Brinckerhoff Report costed the Norwin swap at $197 million!”