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Frequently Asked Questions
about Regional Autonomy
First the obvious topic: Regional Control of
Water
The specific proposal addressed here is that a Suncoast-Cooloola Regional Authority be constituted by the region’s seven State Members of Parliament and four Mayors, and take responsibility for the sustainable management of the natural and physical environment; this would include control over most or all aspects of the sustainable use of the region’s water resources. It is suggested that initially the Authority should be a 50/50 partnership between the elected representatives from the two levels of government, but the details of composition, powers and decision-making procedures should be subject to negotiation, and should be
alterable by the people, by way of regional referendums.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered below, please email them to
sc@suncoast.com.au.
Q: If a democratically constituted Regional Authority
took control of the Mary River, mightn’t it still build the Traveston Dam, or something even worse, to assure the region’s water security?
A: Of course it’s possible. It’s possible that a 747 might land on your house tonight, but that’s not very likely either. All we can say is that when control and responsibility are in the hands of those close to the situation, who have to live with the long-term consequences of their decisions, the concept of stewardship will grow in importance, and the environment is more likely to win than lose. The more likely scenario is that as a result of the current dispute, the Mary will be valued more highly in the future. With a Suncoast-Cooloola Regional Authority in control of the upper and middle sections, and a Burnett-Fraser
Regional Authority taking care of the lower reaches, it’s likely that ten years and fifty years from now, the Mary will run free and clean from Conondale to the Sandy Straits.
Q: Doesn’t the Sunshine Coast need the “water grid” as insurance for future water security?
A: The “two-way pipeline” to Brisbane is simply an insult to people’s intelligence. We’re expected to visualise a future drought in which Traveston Dam, Borumba Dam, Baroon Pocket Dam, Wappa Dam and the smaller storages have all run out of water, but don’t worry, because Wivenhoe
Dam still has excess water
for us, as well as for a couple of million people in Greater Brisbane. What are the chances of that happening? How do they get away with this nonsense?
The most we could expect is that after taking all of our rainwater,
Brisbane would give us some of their sewage to drink.
Q: What are the alternatives to the Traveston Dam and the water grid?
A: Much has been written about the huge potential of non-traditional approaches: demand
reduction (eg. drought-resistant gardens), rainwater tanks (particularly applicable to the high-rainfall Sunshine Coast), use of recycled water, desalination,
and groundwater extraction from the coastal plain. However there have been several engineering studies into more traditional, cost-effective projects with relatively low environmental impact, such as enlargement of Borumba Dam and Wappa Dam. Other possibilities could include wet-season water harvesting from the Mary River into nearby
low-impact, purpose-built reservoirs, and the moderate enlargement of Baroon Pocket Dam combined with diversion into it from nearby streams. A Regional Authority could develop a rational long-term plan for sustainable water security, free from party politics, and balancing the triple bottom line elements of economic cost, environmental impact and social impact. (For a brief overview of triple bottom line theory that adds the highly relevant fourth dimension of governance, see
http://www.global.rmit.edu.au/about/tbl/)
Please keep the questions rolling in to sc@suncoast.com.au.
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