state+minister

You have a strong interest in ensuring that the Victorian government is able to secure sustainable water for the public, now and in the future. Now you, perhaps more than most, will understand the delicate nature of sustainability issues, as well as prioritising the needs of the people. You need to be seen to be doing the right thing. Now you need to get a mental picture of the key issues that might impact on this goal. Remember to include links to websites you have used.

Back to ecological issue page.

Joshi and Adam - Tim Holding, Minister for Water - Gavin Jennings, Minister Environment and Climate Change

** Key Question #1: Does Victoria need to be sustainable? **

Information from websites

During 2005, water levels in dams dropped by around 10%, Victorian were at 39% capacity as a result of declining rainfall. Due to the decline in water capacity in dams and the decline in rainfall, securing water supplies for the future is crucial. We don’t know if this is the greatest drought ever but farm dams, forestry and excessive use of bore water are causing less water to get to the river. It will be capable of providing around a third of Melbourne's annual water supply from a source that is independent of rainfall. (Desalination plant) "Q. What happens if we run out of water? A: We die, quickly, but that won't happen, because Australians have the expertise to resolve the challenges of drought and climate change." - Chris Davis, CEO, [|Australian Water Association]

According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population report, Victoria's population grew by 21,200 in the three months to September 2007 to 5.22 million.

http://news.smh.com.au/national/population-booming-in-victoria-says-abs-20080320-20ms.html http://www.abc.net.au/science/expert/realexpert/watercrisis/13.htm http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/water/water_storages/water_storages.asp http://www.water.gov.au/WaterAvailability/Whatisourtotalwaterresource/index.aspx?Menu=Level1_3_1

Response We can no longer rely on the weather to provide us with our rain water and we can't rely on water from under the ground. We must create a sustainable Victoria and one of the paths we can take to achieving this goal is by the use of a desalination plant. We don't know when the drought will end - if it ever does, so we need to take it upon ourselves to have a sustainable and self sustaining society. The population is growing and we need to put in place facilities that will secure a future containing water for our children and their children. Declining rainfall and water capacity in dams, as well as the fear of "running out" provides the government with sufficient reason to create a sustainable state. If we are able to have water sources that don't rely on the weather, our growing population will feel more confident that we won't run out. Being sustainable effectively turns off the 'panic' button and this is what we want.

** Key Question #2: What is the Victorian government already doing? **

Information from websites

Preliminary studies on flora and fauna, Aboriginal cultural heritage, visual analysis, design and geotechnical studies, and a marine-based study have been done in the area of Wanthaggi.

Water restrictions - no hosing paved areas, must apply to fill a pool, must have a trigger nozzle on the hose,, manual watering systems between 8pm and 10am, automatic watering systems between 10pm and 10am. Currently, trigger nozzle only usable between 6am and 8am, automatic dripper system only usable between midnight and 2am. Even numbered houses can water on saturday and tuesday, odd numbered houses on wednesday and sunday. One in four sports grounds can still be watered, commercial car washes

Aswell as imposing water restrictions, government is also trying to enusre the future of the Murray River and the Murray- Darling Basin.

Melbourne’s non-residential customers have made significant water savings, reducing their per capita daily water consumption by about 38 per cent per capita compared to the 1990s averages. In 2007/08, Melbourne’s non-residential sector reduced its demand for water by 8 billion litres. In the context of Melbourne’s overall reduction of 31.6 billion litres in 2007/08, this equates to the non-residential sector contributing 25 per cent of the savings for that year.

Victortia has a long term plan to secure our water for the future. 'The plan included the announcement of $4.9 billion of projects to secure Melbourne and Victoria's water supplies for the long term, including:
 * A 150 billion litre desalination plant to provide water for Melbourne, Geelong, Westernport and Wonthaggi;
 * A major irrigation upgrade in the Food Bowl in Northern Victoria to deliver water savings to be shared equally between irrigators, the environment, and Melbourne; and
 * A major expansion of the Victorian Water Grid with pipelines to connect Melbourne’s water system with the desalination plant and Northern irrigation upgrades, connect Geelong to Melbourne’s supplies, and connect Hamilton to the Grampians Wimmera Mallee System.'

http://www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/saving/restrictions http://www.environment.gov.au/water/index.html http://www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/saving/industry

Response

The Victorian government has many policies in place to ensure that water is not being wasted unnecesarily. The current 3a water restrictions limit car washing, garden hosing and other domestic uses. Sports grounds have had to cut back on water usage and so has industry. Through these water restrictions and ongoing market campaigns regarding water saving, the Victorian government is trying to ensure that a Victoria with water is around in the future. The government is planning to build a desalination plant in the outskirts of Wanthaggi and this plant will provide the state with a third of its annual supply of water. With the major irrigation upgrade and the expansion of the Victorian water grid, these projects will deliver a 50% boost in melbourne's water supply in the next five years.

** Key Question #3: Does Victoria need desalinated water? **

Information from websites

The desalination plant will provide an extra 150 billion litres of fresh water a year to Melbourne. This will be a third of the annual supply. It will provide water to Melbourne, Geelong, South Gippsland and Western Port towns. Melbourne needs a plant producing more than 300 megalitres of water a day.

[|Enlarge graph] *This graph is showing that annual water flow into melbourne's main water reservoirs is decreasing and so we need to find another method to get drinking water.

Last summer we received only 40% of the average summer rainfall and stream flows into our major catchments were well below average.

http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/water/water_storages/water_storages.asp http://www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/programs/desalination

Response

Yes!! For the short term (within next 2 years) the answer is no but for the long term desalination is vitally important if we are to provide our residents with drinking water. The Murray Darling is drying up and the reservoirs are at 33.5% capacity so we need another major source of water. The capacity of the dams and reservoirs is expected to fall even further with the arrival of hotter summers and winters with less rainfall. The population is growing as well and there is a greater demand for water than ever before. The desalination plant will provide Victoria with a third of the annual supply of drinking water, that's a huge amount that will have a very beneficial impact upon the sustainability of Victoria's water. Some people may think we are taking drastic and unnecessary mesaures by building a desalination plant, but those people don't understand the severity of the problem. Desalinated water is a must for Victoria if people want to continue living the lifestyles they are now.

 Focusing your Evidence: an Action Plan
By examining the proposition of using desalination as a source of water in Victoria from a State minister’s perspective, you have become an expert on the issues that relate to the economy and sustainability. Your Action Plan should be a clear statement about what should be done to ensure that Victoria’s water sources are secure. It should be thoughtful and succinct.

We the state ministers of Victoria consider the desalination plant set to be built in Wanthaggi a necessary step in ensuring Victoria has drinking water in the future. Government funding can cover the costs of the plant however taxes may need to be raised temporarily. We acknowledge that the desallination plant will only supply 150 billion litres of water annually, a third of the annual demand and so there are other projects like upgrading major irrigation in the Food Bowl in Northern Victoria that will carry the rest of the demand.

In addition to that we understand the complaints raised by the residents of Wanthaggi and those elsewhere who are distressed by the environmental impact and economical disadvantages of the plant. The government is working on solutions to all these problems and suggestions include compensation to the residents of Wanthaggi and underground power lines to power the plant. Marine based studies as well as studies on flora and fauna, aboriginal heritage and geotechnical have been undertaken. The government is informed on the issue and on the possibe effects of the desallination plant. The dams are drying up and decreasing in capacity annually, and it is essential that we have a secondary source of drinkable water.

The government has an obligation to ensure that the citizens of Victoria are provided with water and this is our priority. That being said we will draw on evidence and advice from other environmental experts as we want to make sure we are solving more issues than what we are causing.