Options

For Closure

In relation to the test case at Gunnamatta, Clean Ocean is presenting the State Government two viable closure alternatives. The first option is to either retrofit the Eastern Treatment Plant to potable standard or build a new potable treatment plant altogether. This option would see similar reclamation processes and technologies to those already being used in Caboolture. The second option is diverting the discharge from the Eastern Treatment Plant to the Western Treatment Plant for re-use in the recently announced Werribee Bio-region Project.

There is a prevailing universal belief that air and water are free and in endless supply. Public education is required to lift this awareness. Political process also has to change with respect to how problems are solved and how funds are allocated with a long term vision in mind.

Within the Brack's government, there is an awareness of the issues however process in parallel to solve the problems is not in place. It is the goal of the current government to "render water wastage to be as socially unacceptable as drink driving" and "conserve water use and maintain the triple bottom line" (Earthwatch Conference, 30th June 2000, delivered by Sherryl Garbutt).

This is the mandate, but where is the action? And where is the Minister on the water issue?

The barriers to the solution are in institutional arrangements. Catchments and rivers are managed as separate entities and resource data is not available and open to the public., There is a lack of critical knowledge and poor working knowledge of causes and effects of pollution. No "natural balance" is maintained and there are a variety of interests in contradiction with the sustainability of our natural resources.

The gaps in the water policy have resulted from a focus on access and use in the water legislation, rather than the environment and poor regulatory standards.

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