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Desal Developments

Concerns about finance for the Victorian desalination plant have been raised again, in the light of the recent economic downturn.

By Bass Coast Shire Council - 19th March 2009 - Back to News

Bass Coast Shire Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Allan Bawden, said he was not surprised by reports that the consortia bidding for the plant were having difficulty raising the funds.

"This possibility was raised last year, and given the state of the world economy, it is unlikely the story is going to go away," said Mr Bawden.

"However, it is clear that the State Government is firmly committed to desalination as a way of addressing Victoria’s water issues.

"With the continuing drought and the lack of alternative options being pursued by the Government, I don’t imagine that they will be shelving the plan for this plant."

Mr Bawden said the decision last week by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to issue a works approval for the project was not unexpected.

"Council is pleased that the approval has a number of conditions attached to it," said Mr Bawden.

"These relate to the design of the plant, particularly the marine outlet and diffuser.

"The EPA will require the company that builds the plant to conduct a biological survey, hydrodynamic modelling and a toxicity assessment.

"There are conditions that also relate to monitoring the impact on the marine environment, dealing with emissions and noise, and management of the construction process," continued Mr Bawden.

"The nature of this project means there are a lot of unknowns. The design of the plant has not yet been finalised, it will be the first desalination plant built in Victoria and the largest in Australia.

"Obviously the final design will need to comply with State policy, but it is encouraging to see that the EPA has included a process for second and then final approvals.

"The EPA has assured us they will brief Council on their assessment, although a date has not been confirmed yet."

Construction of the plant will have enormous social, economic and environmental impact on the local community.

"Many people are interested in the employment opportunities of such a massive project," confirmed Mr Bawden.

"While there will be a lot of jobs created in the construction phase, it is my understanding that a very small number of staff will be needed once the plant is operational.

"At this stage, our focus is on ensuring that our community is not adversely affected by the project. We need to have the infrastructure and services in place to deal with a large workforce and a huge increase in traffic," explained Mr Bawden.

"Council remains opposed to desalination, but we are working with the government to try and minimise the impact on our community."

A package of measures to protect the Bass Coast community was presented to the Minister for Water last month.

"These focused on specific infrastructure projects, health, education and emergency services, roads, the development of a housing strategy, impacts on the local economy and the establishment of a Community Reference Group," Mr Bawden said.

"As yet, we have had no firm commitment from the Government on any of these measures."

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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