Environment.

There are many Watchdogs to advise government covering different areas, so we thought. Yet now it appears those without the knowledge, can ride rough shod over the top of Aboriginal Elders, and the EPA. Mr Barnett appears to believe his a law unto himself, thumbing his nose at government departments findings. The Environmental Protection Authority warned the location preferred by government, was unsuitable because it would pose unmanageable environmental risks.

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The EPA went on to say it would not be possible to keep gas, noise and other emissions from a hub at North Head, within acceptable limits. Developing at the site could mean up to 14 communities would need to relocate to prevent risks. The watchdog said the least "environmentally constrained" site on a short list of four on the Kimberly coastline was Gourdon Bay 70 km south-west of Broome.

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Fishing grounds and aboriginal heritage sites, Eco-tourism ventures would also be be effected by a hub at North Head. This area is significant for migrating, calving and resting for whales. Environmental issues should be placed ahead of a large scale industrial development, particularly when this development could go elsewhere. The premier has expressed his personal preference for sites without regard for established stakeholders, I would have to agree with Mr Ripper, Barnett has shown reckless disregard for the established stakeholder consultation process completely. These are not the actions of a premier considering the interests of the Traditional land Owners or environment.

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So to date what have taxpayers received from this accidental premier: Uranium mining and GM bans lifted, broken promises. Allowing Esperance Port Authority to train workers to sniff out toxic nickel, it doesn't seem to matter that it's a carcinogen. Ignoring recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry, headed by his own senior minister to investigate the impacts on the Esperance community and environment. The list goes on ........ this is not someone that has the best interests of the people at heart.

Bacteria Alert

A small article appeared last week commenting about the many pipes that deliver water to WA regions, and how they were lined with bacterial growths. It's been found that many of the state's pipelines were so long, that currant methods for disinfecting the water were not effective for their entire length.

The bacterial accumulation, called " biofilms", can contain pathogens such as ECOLI the same bug linked to food-poisoning outbreaks, and Naegleria fowleri, which causes amoebic meningitis.
Dr Plumb from the CSIRO stressed that the biofilms didn't pose an immediate health risk to regional water users as the water was re-disinfected. Possibly this could be the answer why we get a foul stench when turning on the tap or shower, to often for many peoples liking. It leaves the question are we still consuming these bugs and how many have been made ill?

Dr Plumb went on to say the national water regulations should be ammended to take note of bio-films. The latest water quality guidlines, published in 2004, do not mention them despite the fact that bio-films represent 95% of the living material found inside water pipes. How often are the pipes checked, or is this another " only if you have to", why are we paying such a high price for an poorly maintained product?

What Next With Our Water?

One wonders what the Water Corporation will try next.

They are still insisting WA has a grave water shortage. Water Corp intended to draw at least 140 gigalitres from the Gnangara mound this year, these plans were rejected amid concerns that wetlands across Perth could dry out as a result of the strain on the ground water system.


It's still being said it's not necessary to build the Binningup desalination plant, Water Corp have known for 5 years that water is available from Wellington Dam. Agritech a Perth based company presented their plans to Dr Gallop some year ago, it involved a gravity powered reverse osmosis plant and could have been the first of its kind. The plant would cost approximately $220 million to build which is less thanbe free and easy when it comes to spending tax payers money.

Spending 80 cents a kilolitre to treat the water instead of a forecasted $2.50 from Binningup desalination, you don't need to be an Einstein to work out what the public preference would be with the continued exorbitant price rises. Ground water levels were reported to be at their lowest due to the dry climate, yet Wellington Dam has over flowed 4 out of 5 years. So why do Water Corp prefer opening the sluice to dump water out to sea when this water could have been used? Then there is the other matter of tax payers money going out the window because the job of clearing at dams has been so lax, that only a minute amount of run off is entering the dams. a quarter of what would be spent with the Water Corporation's proposal. They appear to
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So why do the Department of Water want to SPEND $250,000 for an independent review, (another review) looking at alternative sources of potable water? If our potable water is so scarce why is industry been given the free reign, why aren't industry using recycled water? Who is the water at Wellington Dam being kept for? Why does water Corp want to inject recycled sewage into our drinking water? Maybe Mr Barnett can explain?

The farce with Water Corp has been going on and on, one has to wonder if they are capable of doing the job they are there to do? There have been many concerns about the environmental damage through the strain placed on the Gnangara mound, if the state government won't pull Water Corp into line it's time for the Federal Government to step in.