Vic: Outrage at Garrett's approval of desal plant
20 Mar 2009 3:17 PM
MELBOURNE, March 20 AAP - Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has been accused of a sell-out after approving Victoria's controversial desalination plant.
Mr Garrett on Friday gave the green light to the $3.1 billion plant, to be built near Wonthaggi on the southeast coast, subject to conditions.
"I am fully satisfied that with the conditions I have imposed on this approval ... this project will not have a significant impact on nationally protected matters," Mr Garrett said.
But protest group Watershed Victoria immediately slammed the decision, saying Mr Garrett had "sold out".
"We didn't hold out strong hopes that Mr Garrett would be the saviour of the environment," president Stephen Cannon told AAP.
"The new ministerial Peter Garrett seems to be a mere shadow of the Peter Garrett standing up for the environment, Midnight Oil Peter Garrett.
"When you join one of the two major parties you have to bow to pressure within the parties and I think he sold out his principles to get into power."
The group was disappointed at the decision but would keep fighting, Mr Cannon said.
"He might have approved it, but the project still doesn't make sense, it's still bad for the environment and it's facing hiccups," he added, referring to reports the two consortia bidding to build the plant would struggle to get funding due to the economic crisis.
"What lending group, what bank, what group of investors would lend for this project when it's subject to conditional approval?
"It's seriously in doubt."
The project is subject to the Victorian government developing strategies to minimise impacts on species including the Orange-bellied Parrot, Growling Grass Frog, Giant Gippsland Earthworm and the Dwarf Galaxias fish.
Those strategies would need to be approved by Mr Garrett before the project could start.
Victorian opposition leader Ted Baillieu said the project was problematic.
"It's no surprise he (Garrett) would tick a box for his Labor mates here," Mr Baillieu said.
"This has been a process without consultation of the local community, the community knows that and the government has been hell bent on it."
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the approval was a failure of Mr Garrett's responsibility.
"This is the Rudd government helping fund a huge greenhouse gas and salt-producing factory to supply extra water for a government which is way behind world's best practice in collecting rainwater, storing stormwater and reusing and recycling water currently available," Senator Brown said.
Federal Liberal opposition spokesman Greg Hunt said desalination should be a last resort.
"This project is wrong, wrong for the site, a wrong use of resources and wrong for the environment," Mr Hunt said.
The desalination project required federal approval under national environment law.
An announcement on the successful bidder will be made mid-year, with construction due to be completed at the end of 2011.
The plant will generate 150 billion litres of water a year.
