Never mind the conflict, let's report the Parliament

"Conflict is quicker and easier to report; it makes a simple headline and the requirement for even-handedness can be satisfied by including quotes from both sides of the argument."
An article by Annabel Crabb
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/09/3007376.htm?site=thedrum

Outrageous Waste of Water

Steven Wardill 
Courier Mail


ALMOST $40,000 worth of water a day is being flushed by the State Government as it refuses to use its flagship recycling pipeline to supply households.

The Courier-Mail can reveal 33 million litres of water a day are being passed through the high-priced purification process and then ditched in the Brisbane River.

The 33ML would be valued at nearly $15 million a year if sold to council-run retailers at the current wholesale price, rising to in excess of $73 million based on the rate at which it is sold on to households.

The revelation comes as southeast residents are encouraged to conserve water while being hit with higher bills to pay off the pipeline and drought-proofing infrastructure.

The waste – equivalent to about 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day – comes after the Bligh Government dropped a pre-election plan for permanent use of recycled water.

The waste is set to continue until commercial customers are found for recycled water or a decision is made to mothball most of the $2.5 billion pipeline's treatment plants.

Department of Environment and Resource Management director-general John Bradley yesterday conceded the level of water loss would continue until two of the plants were completed at the end of the year.

However, Mr Bradley insisted that given the production costs were $300 a ML, or $3.5 million a year, this was "value for money" for a project that eventually could supply up to 232ML a day.

"So proceeding to go through and commission these plants makes good economic sense in terms of providing a strategy that is helping us drought-proof southeast Queensland," he said.

Mr Bradley said purifying the water also meant 86 tonnes of phosphorus from sewage was not pumped into Moreton Bay.

However, Opposition water spokesman Jeff Seeney said the pipeline was an " absolute white elephant" forced on Queenslanders by a Government that had done nothing about water for a decade.

"The wastewater treatment plants were the result of political panic from a Government that didn't plan to build the infrastructure at the right time," he said. "And they will be an economic burden for generations to come.

"The fact is that Queenslanders are not only paying for the interest on the $2.5 billion it cost, they are now paying a weekly cost for water that is actually wasted."

The pipeline is producing 75ML a day on average with Government-owned power stations taking about 42ML. Dam levels are not expected to drop to 40 per cent, triggering recycled water use, until 2013.

Mr Bradley said the water grid manager would have to decide how the pipeline would be operated once the final two plants were commissioned.

"You can mothball them and pickle the membranes," he said.

"Or you can operate them at low load and cycle through the membranes."

He said negotiations with some industrial customers were nearing completion.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-wasting-40000-in-recycled-water-every-day/story-e6freoof-1225905084507

Election nonsense . the media pack

One of the most annoying aspects of the election is the media circus that will follow the major leaders. How boring!. They take the pictures the minders want, record the rehearsed and authorised sound bite then board the bus like well behaved school children to go to the next stop on the mystery tour. Why not something interesting? Follow the new candidates, actually acknowledge there are Senate candidates, look for the interesting stories the Party minders would rather not be given coverage. 


I can't believe that Julia Gillard's advisers may allow her such a short stint as Prime Minister!
An article by John Wanna confirms my view they should have gone to the election on the last possible date in 2011 so they could demonstrate the new leadership team has what it takes to serve the Australian people.  An August election means more waste and inefficiency. 
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/julia-gillard-gambles-on-her-political-capabilities/story-e6frg6zo-1225893663552

Mt Gravatt Outlook - tree removal

I support establishment of Echidna Magic cafe as a training facility at Mt Gravatt Outlook. 
The educational gardens featuring a wide variety of native plants are excellent. 
Even though the view is spectacular it is disappointing that so many trees had to be removed.