“The Brumby government is setting us up for an unsustainable water future, said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria after hearing Neil Rankine Vice President of Watershed Victoria speak at the recent Country Greens Network forum in Leongatha. Neil was speaking on the proposed desalination plant in Wonthaggi.
“Mr Brumby has turned his back on sustainable, energy efficient water solutions for Melbourne, said Samantha, “The focus should be on water tanks, stormwater capture and recycling for our city.
Neil Rankine said “At the last election we were promised a sustainable water future, involving efficiencies, the closure of polluting ocean outfalls, and a partnering with the community to achieve desirable outcomes.
“We now find our Government is abandoning huge quantities of recycled water, they are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to produce class-A water at the Eastern Treatment Plant, only to pump it out to sea at an existing outfall.
“Worse still, we are to pay through our water bills for a $4.8 billion desalination factory, which will create yet another polluting outfall at Wonthaggi.
