Traveston postponed

25th November 2008

By Grainger Laffan


A US environmental agency provided one reason for the Federal Government to reject the Traveston Dam saying it would produce rotting fish, methane gases and contribute to global warming.

The state government has announced that the start of construction on the controversial Traveston Dam will be postponed for several years.

The announcement came during a sitting of the state legislative body today and signals a possible backflip by the government on the future of the project that has met with a great deal of protest from local residents.

Premier Anna Bligh cited concerns by experts on the destruction of sensitive habitat is the cause of the holdup. She said measures to address the concerns would have to be put in place before the dam construction could go ahead.

A formal media announcement is expected shortly.

Bligh backflip on water recycling; Traveston dam delayed

November 25, 2008

THE State Government’s controversial water recycling plan is in doubt and the Traveston Dam project is on hold for several years in a major Bligh Government backflip.

Premier Anna Bligh today gave her strongest indication yet the Government could abandon its plan to add recycled water to the state’s drinking water supply.

She told State Parliament she had written to the Queenland Water Commission seeking urgent advice on whether the 40 per cent trigger for recycled water should be retained.

Tell us: What do you think of Bligh’s backflip?

She said: “It is clear that people believe recycled water is a good insurance policy in the event that our dam levels plummet to low levels, but it’s also clear that people are increasingly uneasy about recycled water as a constant part of our water supply system.”

Ms Bligh also revealed the controversial Traveston Dam, near Gympie, will be delayed for several years, although the government remains committed to the project.

Ms Bligh said the Co-ordinator General had recently advised her that there were concerns about destruction of habitat in the proposed dam area and measures would be needed to address this or the Federal Government would be unlikely to approve the dam.

Ms Bligh indicated that to improve the habitat, which is home to the lungfish , would take several years, delaying the construction and completion of the dam.

But she did not say the Government would abandon the dam completely.

The dam is a crucial part of southeast Queensland’s future water grid which was proposed by Labor to guarantee Queensland’s water security into the future.

She said the another southeast Queensland dam, Wyaralong near Beaudesert, had received Federal Government approval and work would begin next year.

It is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

Traveston dam delayed by years says Anna Bligh

November 25, 2008

QUEENSLAND’S planned Traveston Crossing Dam will be delayed by several years, says Premier Anna Bligh.
The Premier has also softened her stance on the introduction of recycled water.

The controversial dam, proposed for the Mary River north of Brisbane, is widely opposed by environmentalists, pasturalists and the local indigenous community.

Ms Bligh today told state parliament that the state’s co-ordinator-general had advised the site, near Gympie, would need mitigation work before construction could proceed, in order to give it the best chance of federal environmental approval.

The project would be delayed by “several years”, she said.

Given the delay, and the progress of other drought-proofing projects, Ms Bligh would seek urgent advice from the Queensland Water Commission on whether the 40 per cent trigger, identified for the introduction of recycled water to the southeast corner’s water supply, was “still sound”.

“It is clear that people believe that recycled water is a good insurance policy in the event that our dams plummet to low levels,” she said.

“But it is equally clear that people are uneasy about recycled water as a constant part of our water system.”

Unrest about recycled water has escalated in recent weeks, and Ms Bligh said she heard those concerns against the possibility the dam could be delayed.

Ms Bligh said she met with the coordinator-general on November 13, and learned that years of farming at Traveston Crossing had degraded the land so much that mitigation work would be needed prior to construction.

She did not say how long the delay would be, but said she was told it could take two years for plant seedlings to be properly established, and five years until land was suitable for fauna to move in.

Meanwhile, the Wyaralong Dam proposed for the Logan River catchment south of Brisbane, has been approved.

Construction will begin early next year, with the dam to be completed by the end of 2011.

Queenslanders can save NSW from itself, by buying it


By Paul Syvret

November 24, 2008

THE NSW Government is a national embarrassment.

When its misbehaving Cabinet ministers aren’t being sacked, it is making headlines for going down the economic gurgler.

The state is so bankrupt that while the rest of the country is looking at stimulus packages to restore confidence in the economy, NSW is raising taxes and charges, axing infrastructure spending and plunging into deficit before a recession has even officially hit.

It is a basket case with housing investment at the lowest levels since World War II and three consecutive quarters of contracting consumer spending, being propped up by stronger, better-managed economies such as Queensland’s.

The solution, as former NSW premier Morris Iemma proposed, is to sell some assets. But given the left wing of the NSW Labor Party’s trenchant opposition to privatising sections of the state’s creaking power industry, a rethink is in order.

The way to solve the state’s problems is to sell some of northern NSW to Queensland.

We can afford it (unlike NSW, we don’t have debt approaching 10 per cent of gross state product) and people north of Byron Bay would no doubt be grateful to no longer have to rely on incompetents in the south for essential services.

It makes geographic and economic sense.

If NSW were a public company it would be in receivership. Queensland is its best hope of salvation.

Traveston, recycled water backflip

Published 10:34a.m. 25th November 2008

By Grainger Laffan

Updated 12:39p.m. 25th November 2008


The state government has announced that the start of construction on the controversial Traveston Dam will be postponed for several years.

The announcement came while Parliament was in session today when the Premier Anna Bligh also signalled a possible backflip over the introduction of recycled water into south-east Queensland’s drinking water supply.

Ms Bligh told Parliament in a speech today that the Queensland Co ordinator General had been assessing the environmental impact of the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam against the government’s statutory obligations under the law and had found that the Mary River catchment, which includes the proposed dam site, had suffered “significant disturbance” over the years due to clearing and cultivation.

She said the area has lost around 85 per cent of its native vegetation.

“The Coordinator General has raised concerns about the impact on habitat and achieving necessary rehabilitation and offsets for threatened species including the Australian lungfish, the Mary River cod, the Mary River turtle and the southern barred frog,” said the Premier.

“While no decision has yet been made the Coordinator General has formally advised Queensland Water Infrastructure that he believes a number of mitigation measures to minimise impact on flora and fauna should be undertaken prior to construction of the dam.

“All major projects disturb their environment and require rehabilitation work after construction is complete. However the Coordinator General met with me on 18 November and indicated that should he approve the project it would need to include these measures and without these measures the project was unlikely to receive Federal Government approval.

“In response we have received formal advice from the CEO of Queensland Water Infrastructure this work can be undertaken but that it will delay the construction schedule of the Traveston Crossing Dam.”

Ms Bligh said it would be necessary to wait five years after a replanting project to ensure that the habitat is suitable for animals and the delay would amount to “at least several years”.

However she said the government remained committed to building the dam and would do everything within its power to see it eventually built.

The Premier also announced that she had been “listening to the views and concerns” of people over the introduction of recycled water. She said that people believed recycled water to be a “good insurance policy” in the event of future drought-inflicted water shortages but she also acknowledged that there was concern over its introduction as a constant part of the water supply.

Ms Bligh said that she intended asking the Queensland Water Commission (QWC) for updated advice on the continuing necessity of introducing recycled water into the water grid.

She said the decision had been made in January 2007 on the basis of “perilously low” levels in south-east Queensland dams but since then daily water use had been cut dramatically from 180 litres per person to approximately 140 and recent rains had raised the combined dam levels by more than 23%.

The government also announced federal approval to start construction on the proposed Wyaralong Dam near Beaudesert. Ms Bligh said that the environment minister Peter Garrett had cleared the way this morning for the 103,000 megalitre dam to be built and work would begin early next year.

The Premier said that these factors as well as the more than 400 klms of pipe laid in the grid project to connect the region’s dams, the completion of the desalination plant and the use of recycled water in power stations had affected her decision.

“In light of all these changes and confirmation of a delay in Traveston Crossing Dam I will today ask the QWC to provide urgent advice on whether the 40% trigger they identified in January 2007 for the introduction of purified recycled water is still sound,” she said.

Environmental concerns stall Traveston Dam project

25 Nov 2008

The Queensland Government says construction of the Traveston Crossing dam near Gympie in the state’s south-east will be delayed by several years due to environmental concerns.

Premier Anna Bligh says the coordinator-general has told the State Government the proposed dam is unlikely to receive Federal Government approval, unless there is environmental rehabilitiation of the site.

Ms Bligh says that could take several years.

She says given the delay, she will ask for urgent advice on plans to introduce recycled water into south-east Queensland’s drinking supplies.

“In light of all these changes and confirmation yesterday of a delay in Traveston Crossing dam, I will today ask the Queensland Water Commission to provide urgent advice on whether the 40 per cent trigger that they identified in January 2007 for the introduction of purified recycled water is still sound,” she said.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has welcomed the decision.

“I’ve noted the Premier’s announcement - my position has always been clear as Federal Minister,” he said.

“My role is to assess the potential impacts of any proposal on matters of national environment significance, so I welcome rigorous consideration been given to potential environmental impacts of the dam by the Queensland Government.”

The Queensland Opposition says the State Government has backed down on the dam.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg questioned Ms Bligh in Parliament on whether she will scrap plans to introduce recycled water in the south-east.

“Will you confirm today that you now support the LNP’s position that recycled sewage and medical waste in our drinking water should be the armageddon solution only and that you got it wrong when it comes to what the people of south-east Queensland will really put up with,” he said.

‘Shocked’

Anti-dam campaigners says they are shocked by the decision.

The president of the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group, Kevin Ingersole, says he cannot believe the Premier has delayed the controversial project.

“What’s a shock is that Colin Jenson - the Queensland Government coordinator-general had the guts to tell the Premier this will never fly,” he said.

“That shocked me because I thought we’d have to go the whole nine yards to Canberra for this to get knocked on the head.”

Mr Ingersole says he is optimistic the dam will now be scrapped.

“The language was several years - not a few years - and that just pushes it so far out in the future I don’t think any of us have got anything to worry about,” he said.

The chairman of the Greater Mary Association, Darryl Stewart, says the delay is not enough and the dam should be scrapped altogether.

“Any dam on the Mary River or its tributaries would just cut that lifeblood off and there are huge implications for environmental, economic and social implications right the way downstream from the dam out into Hervey Bay,” he said.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has welcomed the dam’s delay but spokeswoman Kate Noble says she still wants the project scrapped.

“The Traveston issue has been very unpopular and commonsense has prevailed,” she said.

“The environmental impacts of this dam are clear now and they’ll be clear in several years.

“The Queensland Government should scrap the proposal right now and invest in the alternatives.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has approved construction of the Wyaralong dam, near Beaudesert in south-east Queensland.

Traveston delay a ‘smoke screen’

Christine Kellett
November 25, 2008

Opponents of the Traveston Crossing Dam have accused the State Government of using the controversial projects as a “smoke screen”, following news that a similar proposal near Beaudesert is to go ahead.

The Wyaralong Dam has been approved by the Federal Government, despite stark parallels between the Mary River plan, environmentalists say.

This morning, Premier Anna Bligh said Traveston, near Gympie, would be delayed, possibly by several years, while remediation work took place at the site.

Glenda Pickersgill, of the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group, said the decision vindicated anti-dam campaigners’ claims that the issue was more complex and sensitive than first thought, but offered no solution for local people who stood to be affected by the project.

“This is really, really disappointing,” Ms Pickersgill said.

“It is only postponing - it is not stopping - the dam, which we say should never go ahead.

“We’ve just heard that Wyaralong has been approved, so it would seem to me that the Government is trying to use (Traveston) to create some sort of smoke screen. It is definitely not a win for us.”

Ms Pickersgill said opponents of Wyaralong shared similar environmental and social concerns about the impact of the project.

“There are a lot of parallels between the two projects…but I think the only difference has been the strength of our (Save the Mary River) campaign.”

The Premier made the announcement in parliament following a report by the state’s Coordinator-General which found the Mary River catchment had suffered significant disturbance as a result of clearing and cultivation. Federal Government approval was unlikely without significant mitigation work ahead of construction, and that could take some time, he said.

“It is good that the Government has finally recognised that they were missing a whole heap of information needed to proceed with this project, but the Coordinator-General had the power to stop this and he didn’t,” Ms Pickersgill said.

“We have been able to highlight so many things that the Government hadn’t considered and at least they have been brought to attention…but we don’t want anyone to be sitting in the position we’re in now with this hanging over their heads. Our campaign goes on.”

The controversial dam, proposed for the Mary River north of Brisbane, is widely opposed by environmentalists, pasturalists and the local indigenous community.

- with AAP

Steamrolling people off properties ‘unforgivable’

Steve Gray

November 25, 2008

Environmentalists have welcomed the decision to delay the controversial Traveston Crossing Dam north of Brisbane, but still insist it should be scrapped altogether.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh on Tuesday told state parliament the coordinator-general had asked for greater environmental protection measures for the dam, proposed to be built on the Mary River near Gympie.

The dam builders had said the new measures, which they would address, could delay the project by several years, she said.

The Sunshine Coast Environmental Council (SCEC) said while the extra checks were welcome, the dam should be axed altogether.

“It appears the significant environmental implications and also the social impacts that would occur with the dam will at least be averted for the time being,” said SCEC manager Narelle McArthy.

Ms McArthy said alternative options should now be investigated and implemented.

She said it was a pity local landholders had been “steamrolled” off their properties at the proposed dam site.

“It was just some arrogance on the part of QWI (dam builders Queensland Water Infrastructure) and the Queensland government to almost insist this was going to go ahead,” she said.

“To disrupt the people to this extent is really unforgivable.”

Professor Stuart White, of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, who prepared a report for the Mary River Council of Mayors, told ABC radio that the dam was unnecessary.

“The first question is: is this dam needed? And the answer is quite clearly no, based on our work,” Prof White said.

He said the dam was unnecessary because of the state government’s success in reducing water consumption, investment in the south-east Queensland water grid and other measures.

“There’s a whole series of initiatives put in place which will provide a surplus of water over the next 35 years,” Prof White said.

The decision to delay the dam still left an air of uncertainty for those directly affected.

“The people of that region have been through so much, in terms of social impact, of the uncertainty of this hanging over them,” he said.

“It would be much better to just scrap it once and for all.

“It’s not needed within the planning horizon and by 35 years there will be so many different options available.”

AAP

QLD Hansard

25 Nov 2008

South-East Queensland Water Grid

Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier) (9.52 am): I inform the House today of some key developments in the construction of the south-east Queensland water grid. This morning we have received approval from the federal Minister for the Environment for Wyaralong Dam to proceed. The 103,000 megalitre dam will be located on the Teviot Brook within the Logan River catchment about 14 kilometres north-west of Beaudesert. When constructed, this dam will put up to an extra 21 million litres of water every year into our supply system when it is operated in conjunction with the recently completed Cedar Grove Weir. This is good news, and now that we have received the tick of approval we can get on with the job. We expect bulldozers on site early next year and the project is due for completion by the end of 2011. This is a significant milestone and it takes us one step closer to securing the future of water supply in south-east Queensland and is another major new infrastructure project for our state.

I also have news in relation to Traveston Crossing Dam. As members would be aware, the Queensland Coordinator-General has been assessing the environmental impact of this project in line with his statutory obligations under law. Through this process it has been identified that the Mary River catchment, including the dam location, has suffered significant disturbance as a result of clearing and cultivation practices over many, many years. It is estimated that approximately 85 per cent of the study area has been cleared of native vegetation over that time. The Coordinator-General has raised concerns about the impact on habitat and achieving necessary rehabilitation and offsets for threatened species, including the Australian lungfish, the Mary River cod, the Mary River turtle and the southern barred frog.

Infrastructure that he believes a number of mitigation measures are required to minimise the impact on flora and fauna prior to the construction of the dam. All major projects disturb their environment and require rehabilitation work after the construction is complete. As a general rule, mitigation and rehabilitation is undertaken after the construction of a major project. However, the Coordinator-General met with me on 13 November and advised that should he approve the project it would need to include these measures and without these measures the project was unlikely to receive federal government approval. In response, the Coordinator-General has provided this recommendation to Queensland Water Infrastructure and we have now received formal advice from the CEO of Queensland Water Infrastructure that this work can be undertaken but that it will delay the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam.

Initiatives such as rehabilitating riparian habitats will take time. For example, Queensland Water Infrastructure has already indicated previously that approximately two years is required after the establishment to ensure at least 90 per cent of any planted seedlings survive. It has also noted that approximately five years is required after planting to ensure the habitat is suitable for fauna. As a result, QWI has indicated it will urgently consider the advice from the Coordinator-General and advise us of
new time frames for the construction and completion of the dam. However, it is expected that developing and proving the effectiveness of the measures will result in a delay in construction of at least several years.

While I am obviously disappointed in this delay, this is a statutory and independent approval process in which I cannot and will not intervene. I do, however, reiterate that the government remains committed to the Traveston Crossing Dam and we will do everything in our power to see it built. It is a good site for a dam. With the recent rain, Traveston Crossing would be full and overflowing again for the ninth time in six years.

Opposition members interjected.

Ms BLIGH: I reiterate: with the recent rain, Traveston Crossing would be full and overflowing again for the ninth time in six years. The recommendations of the Coordinator-General are designed to protect vulnerable species and to give the dam the best chance of gaining federal approval. If delaying by a couple of years improves the chances of getting this dam approved then that is a step that we will take. By following the course of action that I have spelt out, it is clear that we will have a much better
chance of getting the project approved by both the Coordinator-General and the federal government.

The necessary work to riparian areas will involve and require further discussion and consultation, particularly with rural landholders. Riparian zones are obviously on the creeks and they will need some work. There will need to be some further consultation to ensure that the damage that is currently happening to fauna in this area can be arrested and stopped in order to allow the dam to go ahead.

Obviously a delay in the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam has implications for the entire water grid. Over the past few weeks, like others in this House I have been listening to the views and the concerns of people in south-east Queensland about purified recycled water. It is clear that people believe that recycled water is a good insurance policy in the event that our dams plummet to low levels. But it is equally clear that people are uneasy about recycled water as a constant part of our water
supply system.

I have been listening to these concerns over the past few weeks against the backdrop of a possible delay in the Traveston Crossing Dam. The government has an overriding responsibility to ensure that we have the water we need. But we also have a responsibility to ensure that people have confidence in our water supply. Here in south-east Queensland we have successfully and dramatically cut our water use. We did this by working together—by making sure that people understood the need to change and helping them to make the changes that were necessary. We need to keep that community goodwill and we need to keep building on that partnership.

Many things have changed since January 2007 when we announced that, with dams at perilously low levels, we had no choice but to cancel the proposed referendum on purified recycled water and push ahead with every available water source. First, we have dramatically cut our water use from approximately 180 litres a day per person to approximately 140 litres per person per day and we have maintained that over a very long period of time.

Secondly, as we have all seen dramatically in the last few weeks, it has rained. In January 2007 combined dam levels were at 22 per cent; now they are at just more than 45 per cent. Thirdly, of course, our water grid has become a reality. More than 400 kilometres of pipeline has been laid connecting our water resources and water storage areas, allowing us to move water around. Our desalination plant is complete and I look forward to being at the ‘desal day’ on Sunday on the Gold Coast. Wyaralong Dam has been approved and construction is about to start, and purified recycled water is supplying our major power stations and has been for some time.

In light of all those changes and confirmation yesterday of a delay in the Traveston Crossing Dam, today I will ask the Queensland Water Commission to provide urgent advice on whether the 40 per cent trigger that it identified in January 2007 for the introduction of purified recycled water is still sound. We set out to drought proof south-east Queensland and it is clear that we are well on the way to achieving that. Our water grid is well on the way to being finalised. The people of south-east Queensland deserve the benefit of that water grid and they deserve the benefit of the rain that we have experienced. We can now source water from every possible available source and we will use it wisely and carefully. The Queensland Water Commission will provide urgent advice. I look forward to advising the House of that advice as soon as possible.


Traveston Dam

Hon. PT LUCAS (Lytton—ALP) (Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning) (10.01 am): The Bligh government remains committed to building the Traveston Crossing Dam to help secure south-east Queensland’s long-term water supply. As confirmed by Marsden Jacob, Traveston remains the most cost-effective, additional water solution for the region, and I table that report.

Tabled paper: Letter from Managing Director, Marsden Jacob Associated to the CEO Queensland Water Infrastructure of 12 September 2008 regarding Comments from the Opposition in Queensland Parliament on 11 September 2008 regarding the impact of pumping costs on relative cost of Traveston Crossing Dam and desalination plant.

Indeed, I am advised that following the rains over the last week Traveston would once again be full and overflowing, which is the ninth time a dam on the Mary River would have filled since 2002. As the Premier has indicated, the Coordinator-General is still considering the environmental impact assessment and has not approved the project.

However, following discussions with Queensland Water Infrastructure, the state government now intends to begin a number of vital environmental mitigation measures ahead of construction of the dam. This will provide greater certainty about the establishment of new habitat and use by species of interest. Given the current condition of the Mary River and surrounds, those measures are vital. Past clearing of native vegetation and farming in the Mary River catchment has resulted in significant loss of habitat for important freshwater species.

Opposition members interjected.

Mr Gibson: It’s the farmers fault!

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Callide, member for Gympie!

Miss Simpson: No-one believes you.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, member for Maroochydore!

Mr Horan interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Toowoomba South, I warn you under standing order 253.

Mr LUCAS: This just shows how little they care about the environment. Look at all the crocodile tears people like the member for Gympie can shed! Past clearing of native vegetation and farming in the Mary River catchment has resulted in significant loss of habitat for important freshwater species. A total of 85 per cent of the study area for the Traveston Crossing Dam project has previously been cleared of native vegetation, predominantly through agricultural practices, but we are turning that around. Already,
QWI has undertaken a 20 hectare trial forestry plantation ahead of a two million tree carbon offset. Federal government approval of Wyaralong Dam—and I table that approval letter—shows that major projects can be delivered in a way that reduces their impact on the environment. Early next year bulldozers will be on site pushing dirt, with the project due for completion by the end of 2011.

Tabled paper: Letter from the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts to the CEO Queensland Water Infrastructure regarding Decision on approval—Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty/Ltd/Water management and use/Teviot Brook near Boonah/QLD/Wyaralong Dam (EPBC Reference: 2006/3157).

The decision to delay the start of construction of Traveston and begin mitigation measures before construction of the dam wall shows we are committed to getting this right. Important sustainability and mitigation measures that could be undertaken before dam construction include constructing a freshwater species conservation centre to be operated by the University of Queensland, with particular emphasis on field and laboratory research into the Mary River turtle, Mary River cod, Queensland
lungfish and other listed species. It would also include a program of works to ensure the quality of the Mary River and ongoing catchment management through the creation of new habitat, and rehabilitation and enhancement of existing habitat.

The Mary River catchment has suffered from more than 100 years of development that has caused irrevocable damage, much of it from farming. Much of that development and farming took place with almost total disregard for the environment and for species like the Queensland lungfish, the Mary River cod and the Mary River turtle.

Opposition members interjected.

Mr LUCAS: The National Party is now running true to form. Its support for the environment did not last very long, did it? Water quality in the Mary River catchment already ranges from slightly to moderately impacted, with high levels of nutrients, bacteria and turbidity due primarily to agricultural activities, but also drought. The studies and research undertaken for the project indicate one of the most critical factors affecting the continued presence of the Mary River turtle is accidental damage through
trampling by cattle.

Opposition members interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left, the Deputy Premier has the call.

Mr LUCAS: Those opposite were interested in the environment for about 10 minutes, when it suited them. They are back to true form on dams. Likewise, the key issue in relation to the southern barred frog has been cattle grazing and the impacts of vegetation loss due to farming practices, in particular in swampy areas. This is the terrible legacy farming has left the Mary River catchment.

However, thanks to higher dam levels and the security of supply that the Bligh government is delivering through the water grid, the Gold Coast desalination plant, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project and the Wyaralong Dam we can take this decision responsibly. Today’s decision strengthens our resolve to build the Traveston Crossing Dam and corrects many of the environmental mistakes of the past.

Traveston Dam; Recycled Water



Mr SPRINGBORG
(10.27 am): My first question without notice is to the honourable the Premier. I note the Premier’s statement to the House today that she has backed down on Traveston Dam and backed away from recycled sewage being put into our drinking water, and I ask: will the Premier confirm today that she now supports the LNP position that recycled sewage and medical waste in our drinking water should be the Armageddon solution only and that she got it wrong when it comes to what the people of south-east Queensland will really put up with?

Ms BLIGH:
I thank the honourable member for the question. As usual with the questions from the Leader of the Opposition, the premise is completely false. This government has not taken one step backwards in relation to the Traveston Crossing Dam. We are absolutely determined that this dam will go ahead. My announcement this morning that the conditions that are being contemplated by the Coordinator-General can and will be met in order to give this dam its best chance of a full approval not only by the Coordinator-General here in Queensland but also by the federal government—

Mr Seeney:
Peter Garrett told you he was going to say no, didn’t he?

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Callide!

Mr Seeney interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Callide, I warn you under standing order 253.

Ms BLIGH:
This is a reflection of our determination that not only is this dam needed and we will build it but, as we have said all along, it will only go ahead if it meets the environmental requirements. That is exactly what we will do.

What the EIS is showing us—and members heard all of the raucous interjecting when we talked about it this morning—is that, as we all know, there are vulnerable species in this catchment area. Why are they vulnerable? Because this river system is a degraded river system and it needs to be rebuilt. That will require the restoration of riparian zones so that breeding areas in those creeks and tributaries downstream—

Opposition members interjected.

Ms BLIGH:
They just hate science.

Mr Seeney interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Callide, please.


Ms BLIGH:
Here we see the National Party at its antiscience best. We have had the most comprehensive environmental study done of this area. It is telling us what needs to be done. That is what the science says. That is what we will do.

Mr Springborg interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Leader of the Opposition!

Mr Messenger interjected.

Mr Hinchliffe interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Burnett, Leader of the Opposition and I think the member for Stafford, settle down. I call the Premier.

Ms BLIGH:
Equally, the science on recycled water is absolutely rock solid. The illogicality of those opposite stands to be judged by everybody. On the one hand they say it is unsafe and we should not drink it and on the other they say that it is fine to drink if there is an emergency. They do not know where they stand on this. They do not know whether they are Arthur or Martha on anything. They are incompetent when it comes to taking hard decisions. Those opposite are absolutely incompetent when it comes to making the tough decisions.


Traveston Dam; Recycled Water


Mr SPRINGBORG:
My second question without notice is also to the Premier. Have the Premier’s backdowns on Traveston Dam and recycled sewerage in our drinking water today more to do with protecting the environment or health or is it ultimately because of the results of polling on recycled water by both the Water Commission and the ALP in Brisbane last week?

Ms BLIGH:
I thank the honourable member for the question. Again, his questions, as always in this House, are based on an absolutely false premise.


Mr Springborg interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Leader of the Opposition, you asked the question and the Premier is answering it. I call the Premier.

Ms BLIGH:
There has been no backdown by the government on the Traveston Crossing Dam. The people of south-east Queensland want this dam. They understand it is necessary for their long-term water security. This dam would have filled and overflowed nine times in the last six years.

What people need to understand about those opposite is that they do not want this dam. What they do want to put in place is a huge desalinated water program. What does desalinated water cost? That is what they will not tell the people of south-east Queensland. It will cost up to three times or more the price of water out of a dam. They will not tell the people of south-east Queensland what their water bills would be under Lawrence Springborg.

Make no mistake, under Lawrence Springborg’s plan the price of water would rocket through the ceiling. Lawrence Springborg does not care about the bills of ordinary families. Lawrence Springborg does not care about the household water bills. The Leader of the Opposition does not care about the bills that families are paying.

Opposition members interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Members on my left!


Mr Schwarten interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Leader of the House! I call the Premier.

Ms BLIGH:
The Leader of the Opposition’s plan for water includes the most expensive form of water not only in financial terms—and the hit it would have on households—

Miss Simpson interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Maroochydore, I warn you under standing order 253.

Ms BLIGH:
It would be the most expensive water in terms of the energy that it uses. The Leader of the Opposition wants to contribute to increased energy use and increased carbon emissions. He wants to charge the households and families of Queensland more for their water. If he had any honesty he would tell people what he is going to do to their water bills. What is the Leader of the Opposition going to do with the water bills?

Mr Gibson interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Gympie, I warn you under standing order 253. I am calling for order. You have asked the question and the Premier is answering it. I call the Premier.

Ms BLIGH:
The people of south-east Queensland understand how important this dam is even if Lawrence Springborg does not.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Premier, please identify members by their correct titles.

Ms BLIGH:
The Leader of the Opposition may not care about the water security of south-east Queensland but the people who live here understand we need this dam. We need to get the dam right to make sure that it can be built. That is exactly what we will do.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Before calling the honourable member for Glasshouse, I acknowledge in the public gallery staff and students from the Bundaberg East State School in the electorate of Bundaberg, represented by the honourable Jack Dempsey. I call the honourable member for Glasshouse.


Traveston Dam

Ms MALE:
My question without notice is to the Premier. Can the Premier advise of the process involved in environmental impact statements, particularly in relation to the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam?

Ms BLIGH:
I think it is important to understand today, with the announcement in relation to the recommendation of the Coordinator-General, that what we have seen here is proof that environmental impact statements work to protect the environment. There has been a lot of scepticism and cynicism about whether EIS processes do take the environment into account.

There are really three outcomes from an EIS process. They are: firstly, the project is approved; secondly, it is approved with conditions; or, thirdly, it is rejected because its impact cannot be mitigated. What the Coordinator-General has advised is that he believes this dam can be approved with conditions. The proponent of the dam, Queensland Water Infrastructure, advised formally yesterday that conditions can be met. What it means is that in this case the conditions require us to take mitigating strategies and put them in place prior to construction starting. But make no mistake, what we will see from the Coordinator-General is either a formal rejection or a formal approval. An approval with conditions is an approval. While there may be a delay, it will be a delay caused by the conditions of an approved dam. That is what this process does. It happens in major projects in the private and public sector all the time.

I know that if we get this approval we will have crossed the first hurdle in the approval process for the dam. Yes, the federal government will have to make its own assessment. That is not an assessment I can influence. It will have to act under the provisions of its own legislation. We know from the EIS—because it has been thorough, because it has looked at the science, because it has been carefully and rigorously undertaken; the protection of the environment has been at the heart of the work that has been done—that there are vulnerable species—


Mr Johnson:

Mike Horan ran 120 cows there for seven years and they never stepped on one turtle!

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Gregory!

Ms BLIGH:

I take the interjection from the member for Gregory because it captures everything we need to know about the Queensland National Party.

Mr Johnson interjected.

Ms BLIGH:
That is their level of science. Mike Horan watched 120 cows and he never saw them step on a turtle. The scientists are wrong. Who needs an EIS. Who needs scientists. We have ‘professors’ Horan and Johnson on the job. What we see as a result of the EIS is that it is a process people can have confidence in.

Time expired.

Traveston Dam

Miss SIMPSON:
Mr Deputy Speaker—

An opposition member interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! A member of your own party is on her feet. I call the member for Maroochydore.

Miss SIMPSON:
My question is to the Premier. Given that Traveston Crossing Dam was never due to provide water until 2013, five years away, and following today’s revelations that the construction of Traveston Crossing Dam will have to be delayed by several more years, will the government now adopt the LNP’s climate proof water policy and instead build a desalination plant on Bribie Island—

Mr Lucas interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Deputy Premier!

Miss SIMPSON:
I will ask my question again.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! I could not hear the question. I call the honourable member for Maroochydore.


Miss SIMPSON:
Given that Traveston Crossing Dam was never due to provide water until 2013, five years away, and following today’s revelations that the construction of Traveston Crossing Dam will have to be delayed by several more years, will the Premier now adopt the LNP’s climate proof water policy and instead build a desalination plant on Bribie Island which can guarantee pure water in under three years?

Ms BLIGH:
It is very hard to know where to start. How can those opposite say that the most energy-intensive form of producing water—desalination—is climate proof? How can they climate proof—

Honourable members interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Leader of the Opposition! Deputy Premier!

Ms BLIGH:
The Liberal National Party’s idea of how to climate proof the south-east is to put more carbon emissions into the atmosphere. That is how it wants to do it. That is its clever, tricky plan. It wants to have as much of our water supply as possible coming from desalination. What the member for Maroochydore will not tell people is what that does to our greenhouse gas profile. What she will not tell people and what the Leader of the Opposition will not tell Queensland households is what it will do to their water bills. I will tell them what it will do to their water bills: it will send them through the roof. There is nothing—

Honourable members interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Clayfield! Deputy Premier! I call the Premier.

Miss Simpson interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Member for Maroochydore, you have been warned formally under standing order 253. I call the Premier.


Ms BLIGH:
What we have on this side of the House is a comprehensive water strategy that has water supply from a range of sources that not only gives us water security and insurance in our back pocket but also manages the cost for ordinary people. It gives them a broad source of water supplies—from quite expensive options like desalination as a good insurance policy to dams, which are significantly cheaper. Everybody understands that, except of course the Liberal National Party. What it means is that we can manage the cost of that for ordinary families.

It may have escaped the notice of the Liberal National Party, but there is a global financial crisis happening and many families are going to be doing it tough, not just now but also into the future. Our government cares about the financial pressures on working families and we will continue to put in place water security that does not put water bills into the stratosphere like the Liberal National Party wants to do. The more water from desalination that we have, the more money people need to pay for it. Of course, the other question that the Liberal—

Honourable members interjected.

Ms BLIGH:
What we see from the Liberal National Party is a strategy that says that we should have desalinated water plants across the length and breadth of Queensland with no care for how much people have to pay. It does not care about the household bills of ordinary people and it has been dishonest. It has been profoundly dishonest. It has never told people how much its water policy costs. Before it goes out there, it should tell people how much its plan is going to contribute to their water bills.

Recycled Water


Ms PALASZCZUK:
My question without notice is to the Premier. Can the Premier outline the benefits of taking the time to work in community partnerships to address concerns related to the introduction of purified recycled water?

Ms BLIGH:
I think it is self-evident in terms of everything that has been achieved in managing water here in the south-east part of the state over the last two years—and I have to say that it is an outstanding example to the rest of the country of what can be achieved—that none of it could have been achieved without the community. It was the people of south-east Queensland who understood the challenge as our dams started to get lower and lower in the worst drought on record, and their response to that crisis was nothing short of magnificent. They completely changed their household habits and their personal habits, right down to how long they spent in the shower. Those habits have now become entrenched as part of our lifestyle, and people feel proud of the fact that they are using water efficiently and they will never go back to the old ways of wasting water. We have also seen them do a magnificent job of taking up the rebates that were on offer, using the four-minute shower timers and working with their families to make sure that people were not wasting water.


Particularly as the minister responsible for introducing many of those restrictions and asking people to make the changes, I understand just how important it is to bring people with you. I understand the importance of people having confidence in their water supply and of ensuring that people are working in partnership with each other and with the government. I have not had to do polling on this issue; I have been listening to people. People are talking to me. Unlike the Liberal National Party, I and my team are out there all of the time talking to people. They are out on street stalls. They are out in their community groups. They are out in their school P&Cs, and of course people are talking to us about this. There is no doubt—and I made that clear this morning—that there is a growing unease about this being a permanent part of our water supply regardless of our water balance circumstances.


In light of all of the changes over the last 18 months since January 2007, I have asked the Water Commission to provide advice on what an appropriate trigger would be and whether the 40 per cent trigger, in light of all of the changes, remains a sound trigger to activate the allocation of recycled water. I make no apologies for listening to people. That is my job—firstly, to maintain water security and, secondly, to bring people with us and make sure that they have confidence. The people of south-east Queensland have done an outstanding job of saving water, and they deserve the benefit of that. They have done an outstanding job of becoming more water efficient, and they deserve the benefit of their efforts. We have all seen the rain, and the people of south-east Queensland deserve the benefit of that, too.


Traveston Dam

Mr GIBSON:
My question is to the Premier. I refer to the Premier’s announcement that the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam will be delayed by several years while mitigation measures are carried out. As the Premier would be aware, the cost of the various projects that make up the south-east Queensland water grid have already blown out by more than $2 billion and the cost of the Traveston Crossing Dam currently stands at $2 billion. Premier, what further budget blow-outs can we expect as a result of today’s announcement? How will this impact on ordinary Queenslanders’ water bills? Will the Premier now finally scrap this disastrous project once and for all?

Ms BLIGH:
I thank the member for the question. It is a fair question and I am very happy to answer it. Obviously there will need to be a lot of discussion and consultation between the Coordinator-General and Queensland Water Infrastructure to determine exactly and precisely the nature of the conditions that will have to be met, but preliminary estimates—and I stress that they are preliminary—are that over the next two years or so the mitigation requirements are likely to see expenditure of somewhere between $100 million and $150 million. But the member should be aware that these were already costed into the budget of the dam because they were mitigation strategies that would have been undertaken at the other end of the construction cycle.

There was always going to be a requirement to do rehabilitation and mitigation work. This condition is that it be brought forward rather than done at the other end of the dam construction timetable. This does not in any way contribute to any significant changes or any changes of any magnitude in the cost of the dam. What it does is change the time frame. It is pretty straightforward: in the sequence of construction, either you build the dam and then carry out the necessary rehabilitation work, mitigation strategies and restoration work or you do as much of that as you can at the beginning and then you build. So it is still roughly the same time frame but you bring forward that other work at roughly the same costs. So our strategy of ensuring that our water supply here in south-east Queensland is not only secure but also affordable is maintained by having two dams in the mix. If you have to replace a dam the size of Traveston with water tanks, as was the original policy by those opposite—

Mr Lucas:
Kooky!

Ms BLIGH:
Absolutely kooky. But if you have to replace it with a desalination plant, you would be looking at a desalination plant close to three times the size of the one at Tugun. It would use a massive amount of electricity. It would have to be run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It would cost a fortune. What it will do to the household bills of ordinary families should not be underestimated. Of course, nobody on that side has done the work and no-one is prepared to be honest with the people of south-east Queensland. What does their water-from-one-source—water from the ocean—policy cost? What will it do to household bills? That is what those opposite need to be honest about. What are the environmental impacts of using such a high-energy, intensive form of water?

You have been sneaky on this issue since the last election. It is time for you to come clean—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Premier, please direct your comments through the chair.

Ms BLIGH:
You could not be more open than this government has been about our intention to build the Traveston Crossing Dam. We went to the last election with that policy. We have kept everybody up to date with the details and we will continue to do so.


Time expired.

Recycled Water

Mrs PRATT:
My question is to the Premier. With regard to recycled water, it is a possible breakdown in the system and the failure to stop contaminated water from entering the main water supply that is of most concern to those being asked to drink recycled water. If recycled water must be utilised, will the Premier instruct the department to install a holding area for the water to be held in for a period of several days and to undertake testing at a point before it is released into the dam to allay people’s fears?

Ms BLIGH:
I thank the member for the question. I would be very happy to organise for the member to have a full briefing on the operation of the entire system. It is a large and very complex project. In fact, I would be very happy to organise for her or any member of the House to have a tour of the facility. It is important to understand that, on average, the water that goes into the Wivenhoe system from the recycled plant will be in the dam for close to six months at any given time. The water is tested at the plant. It then goes into the dam where it sits for six months. Then it is tested when it goes through the Mount Crosby plant. There is a series of checkpoints to ensure that—

Mr Springborg interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Order! Leader of the Opposition, an Independent member has asked a question and the Premier is answering. Please cease your interjections.

Ms BLIGH:
Given that the Liberal National Party’s policy is to include this water in our drinking supply, it is important that they along with others—

Opposition members: Ha, ha!

Ms BLIGH:
That means that people may well be drinking it. That is their published stated policy. I think it is important that everybody has a full appreciation of how the facility will work. As I said, I would be very happy to organise a tour and a comprehensive briefing for the member. Effectively, the water is held in the dam itself, which is in fact the sixth barrier. It then goes through the Mount Crosby treatment plant along with all the other dam water. Because of the size of Wivenhoe Dam, it takes between six and nine months to get from the Bundamba plant through to the Mount Crosby part of the system.

State faces two-year deficit, warns Andrew Fraser

Emma Chalmers

December 02, 2008

QUEENSLAND’S budget will slip into deficit for at least two years as the state tries to spend its way out of the global financial crisis, the Treasurer warns.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser told State Parliament this morning that the $809 million budget surplus would be “completely wiped out” this year by the economic tsunami sweeping the globe.

Mr Fraser said next week’s economic statement would budget for a deficit for two years and said next year’s budget would be the “toughest in generations”.

“We are prepared to sacrifice our bottom line to maintain growth in the Queensland economy, to maintain capital works and to maintain jobs as we face the full brunt of the unfolding global financial crisis,” he said.

“We are prepared to undertake a deficit budget position to support the economy.”

Mr Fraser said the economic statement would also provide a “pathway out of deficit”.

Premier Anna Bligh also warned State Parliament this morning that the Government was prepared to take the tough decisions to in the face of shrinking revenues and cuts in growth rates.

“Our Government will take whatever action is necessary in order to sustain jobs and sustain activity in the Queensland economy,” she said.