Qld: Councils call for action on water

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2006
Qld: Councils call for action on water

By Paul Osborne and Roberta Mancuso

BRISBANE, Aug 1 AAP - Local councils say there's enough community support for Queensland
to go ahead with using recycled water for drinking without the need for a referendum.

To wait until 2008 would put many areas at risk of running dry, they say.

Their call follows the results of a statewide survey, commissioned by the Local Government
Association of Queensland (LGAQ), that found 56.8 per cent support for the use of treated
sewage effluent to supplement town water supplies.

It came, also, as Premier Peter Beattie set up a task force to explore ways of addressing
water shortage.

On Saturday, the city of Toowoomba voted "no" in the nation's first referendum on drinking
recycled sewage.

Mr Beattie, who met with Toowoomba mayor Di Thorley in Brisbane today, said the task
force would have up to six months to come up with options for tackling Toowoomba's water
crisis.

In the survey of 1,000 people, another 29.7 per cent answered "no" to the question
of using treated effluent, while 13.5 per cent did not express a view.

Support was strongest in south-east Queensland, with 60.9 per cent in favour and 27.6
per cent against.

But provincial cities and towns recorded a 44.5 per cent vote in favour and 33.5 per
cent against, with 22 per cent expressing no view.

LGAQ president Paul Bell said the booming south-east would run out of water without
substantial rain by the time a referendum was held in March, 2008.

"We can't wait any longer," Mr Bell said.

"This result is something that should really give the premier confidence to take this
issue forward on behalf of Queensland into the next election."

Mr Bell said the vote in Toowoomba was a "one-off" and not representative of other regions.

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said today opinion polls could get things wrong.

"That's why a referendum is needed," she said.

The Premier said today the Toowoomba taskforce would "look at every option" available
to ease the chronic water shortage, including using water from nearby farming bores, building
a dam at Emu Creek or getting water as a by-product of coal seam gas.

"We want to do what we can to bring both sides together to resolve this issue," Mr
Beattie said, noting that former Toowoomba mayor and vocal anti-referendum campaigner
Clive Berghofer would be involved.

He said it was unlikely water would be piped to Toowoomba from Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam.

Mr Beattie said while the taskforce considered the options, the council would press
ahead with drilling more bores.

Ms Thorley welcomed the taskforce, but said recycled wastewater was the best option
for Toowoomba.

"I think the community now is going to have to understand ... the cost of what these
(other) options are," she said.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said the government should follow the coalition's
lead and commit to the Emu Creek Dam to supply water to Toowoomba.

AAP pjo/sc/pe/de

KEYWORD: WATER QLD NIGHTLEAD

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