Letter solicits dam help

Approach to Coordinator-General on water scheme loan

PROPONENTS of the controversial Prosser raw water scheme dam at Buckland liaised with the CoordinatorGeneral’s office over a $6m Treasury loan sought by the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council for the project, newly released documents reveal.

Emails obtained by the Mercury through a right-to-information request show proponents, including council general manager David Metcalf, met with an employee of the Coordinator-General’s office in July last year. ALEXANDRA HUMPHRIES

The dam has been proposed by the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council primarily to supply Tassal’s Okehampton Bay salmon farm, but also the Solis development and TasWater.

Following the meeting, the proponent, whose name has been redacted, emailed the Coordinator-General employee to say they were hope- ful the $6m Treasury loan was close to approval.

“If there is any contact you are able to make there to assist with progress or let us know timing, it would be appreciated,” the proponent wrote.

“We hope that the [business] plan sufficiently emphasises the importance of the loan in allowing the next steps to be taken to secure commercial investment and possibly government assistance in the scheme.

“There are significant velopment opportunities dein- volving the Solis subdivision . . . Tassal’s farm expansion in Okehampton Bay and securing water surety for TasWater, which are hinging on this loan approval.”

In response, the Coordinator-General employee wrote: “I will certainly discuss with State Growth and investigate the matters you have raised below.”

The documents also reveal the Coordinator-General’s office organised a tour of the East Coast for investors in April this year.

A Government spokesman said the Coordinator-General’s office “was not and is not” involved in the development of the Prosser Raw Water Scheme, and had not contacted Treasury about the scheme.

“The meeting covered various developments in the pipeline and one of the factors discussed was how a number of those proposals may benefit from additional water supply,” the spokesman said.

Greens Marine Environment spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said the involve- ment of the Coordinator-General’s office was evidence of the government viewing transparency and good process as an impediment to “greasing the wheels” of big business.

“This is a massive loan for such a small rate base, and there are serious questions about the council’s capacity to repay that loan,” she said.

“This is a government subsidiary that is helping to grease the wheels for big business with taxpayer funds, at ratepayer risk. It’s completely unacceptable.”