$21m water project could go unfinished
Fri 24 April 2009
Megan Marks, Journalism
Confusion about who will pay for a $21 million water-saving project left Council undecided about its future, an ordinary meeting heard on March 9, 2009.
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council intended to undertake stage 2 of a climate change pilot project at the Peregian Springs Ridges residential development with the aid of Federal and State Government funding.
The meeting was told that although the Climate Change Adaptive Residential Development Pilot Project had secured funding from the SCRC and the Federal government, the State government and developers had shown little commitment to the project.
The SCRC were to spend $376,500 and the Federal Government $188,500 on the next stage of the $21 million project, but confusion lay in the State government’s financial commitment to the building of infrastructure that was ultimately going to benefit it.
Councillor Lew Brennan said he was concerned Council would spend money on a project to save water, with the State government that had taken water and its potential income from local governments reaping the benefits.
“We don’t have any state commitment to this. They haven’t committed $1,” Cr Brennan said.
“The major benefit is the reduction in dam and treatment infrastructure.
“That’s not us, that’s State.”
“Fifty-odd million dollars go to the State [in water rates] and here we are going to put up $10 million of ratepayers money for research for the State Government.”
Councillor Vivien Griffin questioned how much the developer was actually contributing to the project, considering the impact and infrastructure required to maintain the dwellings would make on the environment.
“The area of water and sewerage delivery is probably the second highest on our footprint,” Cr Griffin said.
“The 93,000 additional dwellings will have a drastic impact on our urban footprint.”
After Cr Brennan said the developers were only contributing the amount expected of a normal application, Cr Griffin argued they should cover more of the cost considering it was their development that benefitted.
Councillor Debbie Blumel, who secured the original Federal Government funding and championed the project, became frustrated with the Council’s reluctance to proceed with it.
“Let’s continue to pursue our vision of being Australia’s most sustainable Council,” Cr Blumel said.
“We have a unique opportunity here.
“Give it some wings in its wind. Let it fly.”
The Council resolved to seek further clarification from the State and Federal Governments about their financial commitment to the project.
A reference committee will further investigate the viability of the project.
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