The Greens have backed Peter Young’s stand against a desalination plant for the Gold Coast.

“At $400 million dollars, a desalination plant will cost every man, woman and child on the Gold Coast almost $900.00”, Greens spokesperson, Glen Ryman, said, “and that doesn’t include the huge electricity costs associated with desalination.”

“It’s no wonder that rates are going up. “

“Water recycling costs less, it is good for the environment. We are not creating greenhouse gasses as with the electricity consumption for desalination, and we are not causing huge brine outfalls that will have an unknown impact on our marine ecology.”

“If we add an ocean sewerage outfall then the desalination plant will be recycling sewerage water, anyway”.

“With the huge up front construction costs, ongoing running costs and relatively low water output and a huge industrial plant plonked somewhere along our beautiful coastline or estuarine environment and what we have is a huge white elephant.”

“By introducing recycled water for non-drinking household consumption, council can control the costs by rolling out dual water supply in stages. They can mitigate costs through levies on new housing developments and offer rebates for existing houses to switch to dual water supplies.”

“Many cities in Europe and elsewhere have been recycling water for years and it has proven to be clean, green and highly cost-effective.”

Contact: Glen Ryman 5630 1191