Wave technology

Finally we may see a Fremantle inventor, Carnegie Corporation put to good use. They are looking at powering the Department of Defence's Garden Island operations with wave energy, after signing a deal which could see the group become the first in Australia to commercialise the renewable technology. It could lead to it supplying Garden Island naval base with both power and water supplies using its CETO Wave technology.

Like most of the Western Australian coastline, Garden Island gets a world class wave resource on tap, plus the naval base is a significant user of both power and water. Carnegie will bear the costs of the feasibility study, but they also hope to to secure funding from the State Government's LEED (Low emission energy development) research grants program.

The group did not quantify the potential scale of the project, the size of the facility would not be limited to the Defence Department operation's requirements due to the potential to supply power to the South-West Inter connector System. Detailed assessment on the technical and commercial viability of the project will soon begin, and is expected to be completed by the years end.

Carnegie is conducting trials of its CETO Wave technology, which purifies sea water for drinking use as well as converting wave power into emission-free energy, in Albany. Government should be behind this company all the way, time will tell.

Lib's Power plan

The Barnett government's plan was to merge Verve with retailer Synergy, it seems it has been shot down by a damning report prepared at the request of the premier. The analysis by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy warned that the amalgamation would cost more money than it saved. Leading to increased electricity prices as well as scaring away possible private investors, leaving the state to fund desperately needed new power stations.

It was said that Verve's losses are largely because the generator sells most of its power to Synergy, at well below cost. What happened to the lower prices when Western Power was split up? When our state experiences 37 degrees and above, how do people get cool when power is too expensive to use. Who's financial difficulties are being taken into consideration ? With Global Warming, higher temperatures are becoming a regular thing so where does the government believe people will find this extra money for the power bill?

While the liberal government are making their long term decisions they need to ask, with everything on the increase where does choice lay for constituents. Full details of the OOE REPORT by "Frontier Economics Regulations Authority" outlining the methodology to determine the tariff levels http://www.energy.wa.gov.au/


7/2/08
Have you ever questioned an inexplicably high power bill, you could be one of the millions of consumers whose bill is done on guess work rather that actual consumption. A practice know as as " estimated reading" where your utility company(power, water or gas) guesses, if they believe meters are harder to access or due to more homes having security measures.

They are the 3utilities that we will receive increases, it's believed that bill estimates led to over and undercharging but that overcharging was more common. The Energy Ombudsman in WA received 28 bill estimate complaints in 2007-'08, it has fielded a further 16 complainta since July '08. If you don't check your bill you'll never know.

Liberals so caring!

It's so nice that our new minister for finance is so caring, it seems his main concern was if the closure of Ravensthorpe happened would it effect Royalties for Regions. Why should we be expected to place our trust in this liberal government, West Australians should remember their performance in their last term of office.

.Their failures in the social areas of health and justice, they disposed of many of the State's valuable assets. In their wisdom they sold SGIO, Bankwest, the Dampier-to-Bunbury gas pipeline, Alinta Gas and Westrail. They closed the Midland Workshops even after their promise to upgrade and expand, to guarantee its long term future. State Ships, hospitals and nursing homes. Not forgetting government maintenance, construction and other services that were providing the State with hundreds of tradespeople through the apprenticeships available. So much for the liberal government's privatisation policies.

.What's come about since Mr Barnett has been in; they have lifted the ban on uranium mining, as well as the "No GM". They have delivered their spin about safely removing the remaining lead stockpile, the polluter are being allowed to export with the aid of the WA taxpayers. Magellan will pay 9 million towards the clean up which is far from adequate, then who will pay compensation to families who's health and lives have been affected. When will Magellan be taken to court?

.To top it off the liberals would have people believe that Nickel is harmless to our health, maybe they can explain how that's possible when it's a known carcinogen. The Esperance Port Authority concluded last year after extensive investigation that no engineering solution could make bulk nickel exports safe, so I guess that makes the so called license not worth the paper it's written on. They intend exporting Nickel through the Port of Esperance when BHP resume mining, so obviously Barnett has learnt nothing. The sooner a full scale inquiry into the inadequacy of government agencies, and adequacy of our WA Ports to safely export highly toxic materials the better. The expectations should be for the Port of Esperance to operate at world's best standards.

.At present the liberals are gathering brownie points, but they are no different than labor before them. Although I don't remember Mr Carpenter going through $3.7 billion in their first 100 days, where still waiting to see any benefits or for that matter where it went.

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.

Just who is being protected?

Residents near Wagerup alumina refinery were told not to be concerned by a new report which finds some emissions may be affecting nearby communities. A new radar system found emissions from the refinery may extend for up to 5 kilometers under certain weather conditions, traveling very low to the ground.

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The DEC Air Quality branch say previous test on Alcoa's emissions have found volatile compounds are well below acceptable health limits. The DEC went on to say "these events have been going on presumably for many years" We would concur with that, as people living nearby have been getting ill for many years.
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How long did the government known about Wagerup problems and did nothing? Were they monitoring before they used the radar system or were they leaving the monitoring to Alcoa? Is the same stench coming from the plant in Kwinana? Who is doing the monitoring at Kwinana?
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The residents living near the Alcoa Wagerup refinery have science to back up their complaints regarding odours. The DEC say they are working with Alcoa to change the way it records the emissions, and to ensure they have minimal impact on the communities. Alcoa need to more than change the way they record their emissions, they need to use the latest technology and cut the emissions.


The DEC now comments that the liquor burner will only destroy the specific compounds when it's operating at the correct temperature. It's also known Wagerup have had problems for years maintaining the liquor burner temperature. And we have heard that Alcoa Kwinana has also had similar problems. We have all know this for years. Why weren't the DEC doing something since community reps pointed it out to them many years ago and many times over many years.

Just who is protecting the community - certainly not the departments that are paid to.

It's time government departments made up their minds who they're paid to protect.