Water questions flow
AFTER reading a report in the Bulletin on Saturday regarding water security- related projects, which – apart from “the Pipe” ( stage 1) – are in reality a wish list which may or may not be started within the next 10 to 15 years, I feel the community should ask basic questions of their political representatives with the purpose of defining some sort of time frame that we will have to be accepting of severe restriction.
Firstly, the cost of running the new pipeline, which will need to be used considerably more than in the past, and has no provision for power generation, leaving the cost to be borne totally by the ratepayer.
Then, do the political experts expect the regional weather to keep getting “warmer”, “drier”, or cooler and wetter, the first leading to more evaporation and less storage potential in our three existing dams, Burdekin Falls Dam, Ross River Dam and Paluma?
Would our political experts expect regional growth or stagnation, the first leading to increasing usage of a decreasing capacity?
Would our political experts expect, should the population and business grow, an increasing demand for water not just for living standards but also food production to cover population growth? And as there are apparently seven new coal mines opening in the Bowen valley, which is already piping Burdekin Falls Dam water to Moranbah, will a larger allocation be required?
Would the political experts be able to confirm a new treatment plant will be commissioned within 15 years to enable the treating of BFD turbid ( dirty) water as we have to rely on it to a greater extent? Or would they expect a decline in quality as occurred in Paluma and apparently on the Tablelands?
Finally, would our political experts expect an increase in storage anywhere within the region in the 10 to 15- year time frame?
I write with confidence in the expertise of our three tiers of political governance and assure my grandkids that it might get drier and hotter but we’ll have plenty of low- cost water in the future. I am looking forward to a political response as these are legitimate questions. JOHN JAUNCEY, Deeragun.