Barnett’s 12-year delay
There’s a couple of interesting articles in the West Australian this morning. First, we’re told that Barnett prevented a proper study being conducted on a canal project in the early 90s:
Opposition Leader Colin Barnett was the minister responsible for winding up a Labor-appointed committee that analyses a plan to pipe water from the north 12 years ago, it emerged yesterday.
Mr Barnett ended the committee prematurely in 1993.
In a press release at the time, he said, “The pipeline idea was dismissed soon after the board was formed and was also dispelled through the final report, which highlighted that the State’s south could sustain foreseeable water needs until at least 2040 to 2080.”
Murdoch University physics professor Phil Jennings, one of the 10 people on that committee, said yesterday it also looked at a plan to send water from the north to Perth in an aqueduct — similar to what is being proposed now by Tenix.
Professor Jennings said there were huge practical problems identified at the time, such as frequent flooding and how to keep out camels which would pollute the drinking water.
It was expected to cost at least $5 billion, producing water at between $2 and $4 a kilolitre compared with the $1.11 Tenix is forecasting now.
Twelve years later, and with no more evidence than a glossy Tenix brochure, Colin Barnett has backflipped and given the plan a big thumbs up.
Unfortunately, as another article points out, it will be too late:
Total sprinkler bans are likely before the coalition’s $2 billion canal project could deliver drinking water to Perth and the south-west of WA, according to the Water Corporation.
A spokesman said yesterday a new water source was required by the summer of 2006-07 to prevent a total sprinkler ban.
The desalination plant is expected to be ready in that time-frame — Colin Barnett would cancel it and introduce a total sprinkler ban while we wait for his pipe dream.
Barnett took a lot of credit for past decisions of Liberal governments in the Debate. I wonder if he will take credit for delaying the delivery of new water sources to Perth?
It seemed to me that he was blowing his trumpet a bit too hard. What decisions are ever made by only one person in a government?
Not since Charles Court proposed a deep water port in the Pilbara by blasting a channel with nuclear bombs (dead set, its true, when he was a plucky young Minister for State Development) has such a visionary proposal been put before the people of Wessstern Australia. That’s right, bloody visionary.
But I think Col has sold himself a bit short.
What we really need is a bloody great channel, right down the border. Think of the potential. We could keep those pesky eastern staters out, we could all hop into our yachts and circumnavigate this great state/country of ours – and just think of the tourism!!!. Of course we would have to straighten out surveyors corner, but I’m sure the NT wont miss a bit of desert. Who cares anyway.
Bout 25 k’s wide should do it. Mate, the rabbit proof fence is gonna have nothing on this baby!
I think I’ll put pen to paper now and pass the idea onto old Col.
GK
It’s a nice idea but, as with Colin, you misunderstand the real problem. Due to our latitude in Perth we have a distinct lack of twilight, causing a harsh transition between night and day. Now I don’t want to be selfish and complain how this ruins my picnic plans, but it does impact heavily on safety such as driver response time in putting their headlights on etc. Now I know for a fact that to the west of us, the continues to be vast reserves of sunlight for hours. All it would take would be a sufficiently large tube of fibre optic cable with a collector somewhere around Madagascar to more than meet our needs. I’m no a knocker, I think we need every now and then to let loose the reins of planning and follow our visions Joan d’Arc style, so I humbly offer this as an alternative or bugger it, do both.
Nice Anthony nice. Just think of the tans we will have.
And it just goes to show, that when a visionary like Colin leads the way, the rest of us can be swept up in the tide of creative thinking to deliver similar creative solutions to our everyday, or even imaginary, problems. Solutions that are sustainable, cost effective and most of all, well thought out. That’s the never say die attitude we love over here.
Keep up the good work. I know I will.
Thoughtfully put GK, and what’s more, this will be tanning when dangerous UV rays are at their kindest.
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting that State of Excitement feeling back.
Canal vs Desalination
The issue that has dominated the WA election campagin is Colin Barnett’s canal plan… Here are all the posts pertaining to the debate, I will update this list as we go…