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EXPOSING DEVELOPERS WHO FAIL TO APPRECIATE AND RESPECT COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND SPIRIT OF THE LAND |
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Approximate location of Wonthaggi desal plant in yellow (above).
Kilcunda Beach
Water Plant's Land Grab 25/1/08
For queries and more information about the following text contact;
email; info@yourwateryoursay.org for further details
or visit www.yourwateryoursay.org
c/o Kilcunda Post Office, Kilcunda, Vic, 3995
Complain to; Minister for Planning, Mr. Justin Madden, Level 17, 8 Nicholson St, Melbourne, 3000
justin.madden@parliament.vic.gov.au Fax: 9637 8921
Very large quantities of sea water (11,000 litres per second or 16 Olympic size swimming pools every hour) are pumped into a factory-like complex.
The water is mixed with chemicals in a pre-treatment process. This kills any animal life and removes any solid bits which will clog up the next stage of filters.
It is then pushed through a series of exceptionally fine membranes (this process is called reverse osmosis) which filters out everything except the water.
Chlorine: 3 million litres
Caustic soda: 150,000 litres
Hydrochloric acid: 120,000 litres
Ferric chloride: 45,000 litres
(per year based on Perth's desalination plant).
Some of these chemicals are discharged back into the sea. Some form carcinogens and heavy metals that contaminate the food chain.
A plant that produces 150 billion litres of water a year:-
needs approximately 40 hectares. This is roughly the same as 400 house blocks.
The building would be five stories or 18 metres high.
The solid animal waste and chemicals from the pre-treatment part of the process is trucked away from the factory. This waste goes to a registered landfill site (a tip).
A 150 billion litres desalination plant produces 30,000 tons of solid waste yearly, that's about 2000 truck loads.
Most of the salt is pumped back into the sea as brine at a rate of 5500 litres per second. This water is about twice as salty as normal seawater and contains other toxic substances.
Very few studies have been done worldwide
Things that could possibly happen include -
A reduction on the amount of food at the bottom of the food chain as more than 275 000 small sea creatures are sucked into the plant every second.
The brine discharge may make conditions better for pest species to flourish and could cause massive environmental damage.
Underwater noise from the huge pumps may upset dolphins and migrating whales.
Heavy metals and carcinogens entering the food chain, ultimately being a human health concern.
Desalinisation plants are huge ugly factories. This is why they are usually built in industrial areas. They need new big electricity lines, pipelines and pumping stations that will stretch for many kilometres across the rural countryside.
Earthworks for the buildings, pipelines and pumping stations to urban areas can cause serious environmental problems.
The reverse osmosis process is highly energy intensive.
A 150 billion litre desalinisation plant uses 900 GWh of electricity a year.
This is nearly 2 percent of Victoria's current total enregy use, or enough to power 170,000 homes!
Brown coal used for electricity generation accounts for almost half (49%) of the Primary energy source used in Victoria. Other sources are; gas 19%, oil 30% & renewables 2% (Energy in Australia 2006). Brown coal generated electricity is particularly Greenhouse intensive. In 2004 Australia's emission of greenhouse gases was 28.2 tonnes per person. This is the highest in the world.
We need to cut our use of coal powered electricty, not increase it.
Increased greenhouse gases = less rainfall - desalinisation = increased greenhouse gases = even less rainfall = even more desalinisation.
Desalinisation therefore doesn't solve the problems of climate change but rather adds to it.
No, the Green Energy in Victoria has already been bought by families and businesses wanting to make a difference to Climate Change. There is just none left for the Government to buy power to a desalinisation plant.
No-one knows for sure but estimates range from 3 to 10 times the cost of water now.
An average family will probably pay an extra $900 per year for water.
Because factories and businesses will be paying more for their water, the cost of everyday items and services will rise as well.
This means the price of everything from a haircut to a beer is likely to increase significantly.
The desalinisation plant and the water it produces would be a Public-Private Partnership (as with Citylink), that is, part owned by a foreign multinational company.
Even when the dams fill, water will still be expensive. This is because the Government still has to pay the owners of the factory the same amount of money whether of not the water is needed or used.
An Environment Effects Statement is a detailed report which describes the likely environmental effects which will be caused by development. Any large infrastructure development such as desalinisation plant should be put under scrutiny by an EES. An EES summarises the proposal, any feasible alternatives and expected environmental effects.
Catch storm water falling on urban areas and use it efficiently.
Install rainwater tanks on all suitable buildings across the state. A water tank on 60% of Melbourne homes can collect the same volume of water that the desalinisation plant and will produce it at 20% of the environmental cost.
Introduce recycled water. Properly treated recycled water can be used everywhere in the home, for industry and outdoor use. London and Singapore both rely on using recycled water for drinking. Even a domestic grey water system can save thousands of litres
Fix all leaking pipes, taps and fixtures across the State.
Encourage water saving in homes and businesses.
Use the knowledge and expertise we have in Australia to become leaders in water use and conservation. Not just follow a growing world trend which jeopardises the environment on which humanity depends.
Powlett River, Gippsland, west of the Desal plant.