Minister for Natural Resources & Mines
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
Friday, June 18, 2004

Springborg’s ‘dam at all costs’ water policy unsustainable

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg’s ‘dam at all costs’ approach to water reform is unscientific and not economically, environmentally or socially sustainable, Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson warned today.

“In his Budget reply speech yesterday, Mr Springborg committed the National Party to a $1 billion water policy that basically promises dams, dams and more dams without any regard to the impact on our rivers, our farmers and communities.”

“Mr Springborg wants to build dams on a political whim and leave the community and the environment to pay the price.”

“There is no sense building expensive dams willy nilly if the water is so expensive no irrigator can afford to buy it.

“There is no sense building dams if the new infrastructure kills the health of the river in the process. “It’s this type of 1950’s dinosaur thinking that makes Mr Springborg and the National Party unelectable,” he said.

“And by ignoring the National Water Reform Agenda that has been underway in Australia since 1994, Mr Springborg has also demonstrated how out of touch and irrelevant the National Party is in Queensland”

In contrast, the Beattie Government’s approach to water resource planning is responsible and based on solid science, careful planning and community involvement in the development of water resource plans for individual catchments.

“The Beattie Government has done more for Queensland water reform in six years than the National Party did in 30 years,” Mr Robertson said.
“Queensland is acknowledged as leading the nation in water planning and reform and Beattie Government water planning activity already covers more than 90% of the State.

“Water planning is more difficult as a result of the legacy of dam performance disasters that the Beattie Government inherited from the National Party.

“We are determined not to repeat the previous Coalition Government’s mistakes and will only build dams within the context of a proper, forward looking plan that requires new water infrastructure to be economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

“This is also a fundamental tenet of the water reform agenda agreed by COAG and a clear foundation of the expected National Water Initiative to be discussed in Canberra next week,” he said.

Mr Robertson said the key to ensuring all Queenslanders have fair and equitable access to water is careful planning and water infrastructure that is economically and environmentally sustainable.

“We all have a responsibility to improve our water use efficiency to ensure we get value out of every drop of our most important natural resource.

“The Beattie Government’s highly successful Rural Water Use Efficiency Initiative is a good example because we are helping irrigators save 180,000 megalitres of water a year and boost agricultural production by $250 million all for a modest investment of $41m over the past five years.”

Mr Robertson said it was breathtaking hypocrisy for Mr Springborg to claim the Government isn’t doing enough to supply water for South East Queensland.

“We have just undertaken the State’s most comprehensive water supply planning ever for the rapidly growing south east corner of the State.

The first stage of the strategy takes a 15 year outlook in meeting South East Queensland’s needs while the next stage to be completed next year takes a 50 year outlook. That’s long term planning for our long term future.”

“We have worked closely with all South East Queensland Local Governments on this to draft a comprehensive strategy to meet future urban water needs in Australia’s fastest growing region.

“We are developing similar strategies for Central and North Queensland in recognition of the needs of fast growing communities in regional Queensland”

Mr Robertson said the Beattie Government also had in place a Drought Water Taskforce which assists Queensland towns and rural producers develop strategies to ensure urban and farm water supply during drought.

“We have already provided a detailed report to local government on desalination technologies to encourage the up take of this alternative water resource where conditions allow such as in Dalby and Miles.

“The Government is also heavily involved with local government in promoting the use of recycled grey water and the greater use of rainwater tanks.

“Mr Springborg claims that ‘city after city have been placed on water restrictions’ yet the only restrictions I can find are the normal garden sprinkler restrictions that apply in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Ipswich.

“The Beattie Government’s approach to long-term water security is a more holistic, scientific and carefully planned approach than Mr Springborg’s unsustainable and short-sighted policy that promises dams anywhere and at any cost,” Mr Robertson said.

Natural Resources & Mines
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
Monday, January 17, 2005

Springborg’s dam approach doesn’t hold water

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg’s claim that building more dams will mean cheaper water for householders is nonsense, Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

“This is typical voodoo economics from a Party that’s been left behind in the national water reforms that all governments (Labor and Coalition) in Australia have been implementing for the past 10 years”.

“Mr Springborg’s “just dam it” approach to water planning is what makes the National Party so out of touch and so economically and environmentally irresponsible.

“He conveniently ignores the fact that it is the community that foots the bill for the many millions of taxpayer’s dollars it costs to build, operate and maintain dams. That cost is recovered from those that use the water, whether it is industry, primary producers or urban households.

“We live in the driest continent in the world, so we all have a responsibility to use water efficiently and place greater reliance on alternative sources such as recycled and grey water. The best way householders can achieve cheaper water bills is by improving their water use efficiency and by not wasting water.

“Using water efficiently not only saves money through lower water rates, but it also means Queenslanders get maximum value out of infrastructure such as dams that they have paid for through their taxes.” “Sadly, Queensland is littered with National Party-built dams that never fill because for decades politics overrode good planning.
The Nationals wasted hundreds of millions of dollars in underperforming water storages which taxpayers pay for today through subsidies to operate and maintain empty or near empty dams.”

“Under COAG national water reforms, new dams must be scientifically planned and proven to be economically and environmentally sustainable. Water charges should at least reflect the cost of construction, operation and maintenance,” Mr Robertson said.

Unlike Mr Springborg and the National Party, the Beattie Government is committed to long term planning to ensure Queensland’s water supplies meet the needs of our growing state.

That’s why the Beattie Government has been driving water supply strategies for South-East, Central and North Queensland that will ensure reliable supplies of water for the next 50 years.

“These integrated and long term planning processes are examining future water infrastructure options plus ways to improve water use efficiency in the home, at the workplace and on the land,” he Mr Robertson said.

Natural Resources & Mines
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Toowoomba water supply in no danger of drying up

Toowoomba has sufficient existing water supplies to meet demand until approximately 2015, Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

“Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg’s claim that critical water shortages are forecast for Toowoomba within six years is alarmist and a deliberate distortion of the facts.

“Experts agree that even without better water use efficiency - such as greater use of recycled water and rainwater tanks - water demand will not exceed supply in Toowoomba until about 2015.”

“Mr Springborg is simply beating up this issue to give oxygen to his ‘dam at all costs’ water policy which is unscientific and neither economically nor environmentally sustainable,” he said.

Mr Robertson said State Government agencies and 18 South East Queensland local councils have just completed Stage 1 of a three-stage process to develop a joint new water supply strategy for the region stretching from Noosa to the NSW border and west to Toowoomba.

“The draft report of Stage 1 of the South East Queensland Regional Water Supply Strategy is with councils for comment and will soon be submitted to the Regional Coordination Committee for action.”

“There’s no danger of Toowoomba’s water supplies becoming exhausted in the short term. In fact, the draft report recommends the next water source for Toowoomba be addressed in future stages of the strategy,” he said.

While the draft report suggests existing supplies could exhaust by 2010, it warns this projection is “heavily affected by assumed demands” to the proposed Charleton-Wellcamp industrial precinct and says these water demands “will most likely be reduced through integrated urban water management” such as the use of recycled water.

The draft report also says:
“Projections also suggest that Toowoomba and adjacent areas will require an additional source before about 2013. Toowoomba City Council has indicated that they believe that this date can be deferred by approximately 4-5 years through the adoption of water conservation and demand reduction measures that are currently under consideration.”

“There is no danger Toowoomba’s water supply will exhaust within six years and Mr Springborg should apologize for creating unnecessary community concern,” Mr Robertson said.

 Carolyn Tucker-Truth, Lies and Politicians