14th October 2008
By Bill Hoffman

Sunshine Coast residents will have to slash their water use when restrictions are introduced here in March.

Daily individual consumption here has averaged 208 litres during the past five months, well over the bottom of the range 140 litres per person per day target of the Queensland Water Commission for the south-east.

Daily consumption across south-east Queensland last week jumped from 136 litres the previous week to 144 litres, the first time in more than 12 months it has topped the 140 litre target.

Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke, where the average use per person last week was 198 litres a day, has said the city’s residents should ignore water restrictions.

And Sunshine Coast councillor Paul Tatton has said Brisbane should deal with its own problems.

“Bugger Brisbane is what I say and will continue to say,’’ Mr Tatton said.

“The Sunshine Coast has over many many years ensured that the region has adequate water supply for the future. If Brisbane has not done such planning then it is to their own peril.

“I know that this northern pipeline interconnector will be a one-way pipeline all downhill,’’ Mr Tatton said.

“I would want a cast iron guarantee and evidence that the pumping stations are in place to ensure that the pipeline is two-way before I will ever agree to this happening. I know that it is a foregone conclusion but that does not stop anyone from voicing their opinion and that is what I believe that Sunshine Coast residents need to do … voice your opinion to all in state parliament that this is not on.’’

QWC has set a regional target for the Gold Coast of 170 litres a day, 15 litres a day below the 187 litres the city was using before last week’s spike.

Mr Clarke has argued there is plenty of water in Gold Coast dams and that the city has halved its water usage during the past eight years despite servicing an additional 100,000 people.

Sunshine Coast mayor Bob Abbot rejected any suggestion that this region ignore restrictions when they are introduced here.

Mr Abbot said he would push to get an agreement that water would be pumped north to the Sunshine Coast if our supplies ever fell to critical levels.

He would be discussing with senior staff this week what position council would take on the water restriction levels suggested by Queensland Water Commission.

“We have to work out how we deal with the half of the Coast that won’t be on the grid until the Traveston Dam is built,’’ Mr Abbot said.

That situation applies to all properties north of the Maroochy River whose water comes from either the north Maroochy system out of Wappa Dam or Lake Macdonald at Cooroy.