BACKGROUND:
On 12 June 2008, Mr Peter Kavanagh MLC for Western Victoria commented on the Auditor-General Report on the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline and the Goldfields Superpipe.
Mr Kavanagh expressed concern that other superior alternatives to supplying water to Bendigo and Ballarat were not pursued by the government and detailed some of the adverse affects on the property of the farmers located on the pipeline route.
Mr Kavanagh’s comments in Parliament on Hansard are below:
HANSARD:
Title: Auditor-General: Piping the System -- Incorporating the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline and the Goldfields Superpipe
House: COUNCIL
Activity: Statements on Reports
Members: KAVANAGH
Date: 12 June 2008
Page: 2270
Auditor-General: Piping the System -- Incorporating the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline and the Goldfields Superpipe
Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- The goldfields super-pipe was constructed to avert the prospect of Bendigo and Ballarat running out of drinking water. It seems to me that there were superior alternatives available, which included the construction of dams or at least a weir in the Otways with a view to using some of the 93 per cent of the most reliable water supply in Victoria that now flows into the sea. These options and others were rejected -- largely, it seems to me, because of a misplaced ideological opposition by the government to new dams.
Although it has been alleged in public that the Democratic Labor Party was trying to stop the construction of the super-pipe, this was never the case. The truth is that I put a lot of effort into getting the best deal possible for affected farmers.
These efforts met with some success and the pipe was laid deeper than was originally intended. This is important to allow
Page 2271
farmers to use heavy equipment over the pipe with confidence. Finally a much better insurance deal than was originally intended was offered to the farmers. I think it is fair to say that, as a result of vigilance and frequent complaints and requests for action to ministers, more care was expended to meet farmers' concerns than would otherwise have been the case.
The Auditor-General's report Piping the System concluded that the goldfields super-pipe has been well managed. While this may be the case in general, there were a considerable number of instances of mismanagement in the installation of the pipeline by contractors. In at least one case, to gain access to a farm contractors simply cut the electric fences, allowing cattle to escape and wander the district. This caused great distress and worry to the farmer concerned and necessitated the loss of days of work time in rounding up his cattle.
In spite of repeated, explicit demands by farmers that construction equipment not be taken between properties without it being thoroughly washed down, this was not always done. Some farms were needlessly exposed to the spread of weeds and other contaminants onto their properties. In a similar way, soil profiles were not always restored as they should have been. Farmers demanded the restoration of soil profiles and in a majority of cases this was done. In some cases, however, it was not done and some farmland has thus been degraded through the replacement of topsoil with subsoil.
There was at least one oil spill on farmland. Installation of the pipe also caused damage to pre-existing old pipes, causing flooding of crops on at least one farm and in another case cutting the supply of water essential to crops. This happened when temperatures were over 40 degrees and the crops were at real risk of being ruined. In both cases, repairs to pipes were not begun until more than 10 hours after the damage was first reported.
There are reasons to suspect that the amount of compensation being offered to each farmer depends more on the amount of noise that he makes rather than on the real cost to the landowner. Whilst the temptation is understandable, it is obviously bad policy.
Australia comprises many things -- its spirit and its people. Undoubtedly Australia is also the land on which we stand. We have the responsibility to preserve and protect our country, and this must surely include the land that is beneath our feet. The world is experiencing a sharp rise in food prices due to a shortfall in crop production. I do not believe this will prove to be a long-term crisis, but it emphasises the need to conserve farmland. The land adversely affected in the laying of the goldfields super-pipe included some of the best farmland in Victoria.
I express the hope that in implementing future projects, including the north-south pipe, the government will ensure that contractors act with more respect for the land and for landowners than was shown in some instances by those who installed the goldfields super-pipe.
Showing posts with label Topics - Goldfields Superpipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Topics - Goldfields Superpipe. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Monday, 18 February 2008
Media 2007-03-14 Goldfields Superpipe
PRESS RELEASE
14 March 2007. Wednesday.
Peter Kavanagh DLP MLC for Western Victoria, has urged the State government to seriously negotiate with farmers and respect the properties they are affecting when constructing water infrastructure projects. Mr Kavanagh has also argued in Parliament that Victorian governments have been negligent over a long period in failing to adequately plan for droughts and future water needs.
Peter Kavanagh's comments in Hansard follows.
For further comment please call Peter Kavanagh on 03 5222 1503.
Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- I will briefly explain why I intend to support the amendment of the bill. Last week I met with quite a lot of farmers in the Ballarat area through whose properties the super-pipe will pass. Those farmers are angry; they feel that the government is not listening to them. They are
Page 535
worried about a lot of things associated with the super-pipe, including the possibility of weeds being spread while the super-pipe is being laid. They have been given conflicting information about the depth of the pipe, but they demand that the top of the pipe be at least 1 metre from ground level to allow for the use of large agricultural machinery in the future. They want to know what will happen to the soil that is displaced by the super-pipe. They claim that in the past when pipes have been laid quite often the topsoil has been put straight on top of the pipe and then buried under clay and rocks, ruining part of their land. They want assurances about the future -- for example, they want a guarantee that, if the pipe breaks, it will be repaired without damage to their properties.
According to many experts there are superior alternatives to the super-pipe.
Two former ministers -- Glyndwr Jenkins, who was Minister of Water Supply under Lindsay Thompson, and Rod Mackenzie, who was Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands under John Cain, Jr -- have been promoting a Barwon Water recommendation of 2003 for a weir on the Gellibrand River capturing some of its water, together with a pipe to the West Barwon Dam. At present only 7 per cent of Gellibrand River water is used, while 93 per cent flows into the sea. This option, which would be of low environmental impact, would be economical and would take the pressure off the water supply that is presently shared between Ballarat and Geelong.
Last year this house debated a motion to condemn the government for its handling of water. I voted against that motion because I did not want the first Democratic Labor Party vote in this house in almost 50 years to be condemning anybody. I also do not know if the Kennett government had a much better record on water than the present government does.
However, it seems to me that over a period of decades successive Victorian governments have shown a lack of leadership and have even shown neglect on the water issue. I urge the government to seriously address the concerns of landowners who will be affected by the super-pipe and to cast aside any ideological prejudices it may have against environmentally responsible dams in seeking long-term solutions to the water challenges facing Victoria.
14 March 2007. Wednesday.
Peter Kavanagh DLP MLC for Western Victoria, has urged the State government to seriously negotiate with farmers and respect the properties they are affecting when constructing water infrastructure projects. Mr Kavanagh has also argued in Parliament that Victorian governments have been negligent over a long period in failing to adequately plan for droughts and future water needs.
Peter Kavanagh's comments in Hansard follows.
For further comment please call Peter Kavanagh on 03 5222 1503.
Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- I will briefly explain why I intend to support the amendment of the bill. Last week I met with quite a lot of farmers in the Ballarat area through whose properties the super-pipe will pass. Those farmers are angry; they feel that the government is not listening to them. They are
Page 535
worried about a lot of things associated with the super-pipe, including the possibility of weeds being spread while the super-pipe is being laid. They have been given conflicting information about the depth of the pipe, but they demand that the top of the pipe be at least 1 metre from ground level to allow for the use of large agricultural machinery in the future. They want to know what will happen to the soil that is displaced by the super-pipe. They claim that in the past when pipes have been laid quite often the topsoil has been put straight on top of the pipe and then buried under clay and rocks, ruining part of their land. They want assurances about the future -- for example, they want a guarantee that, if the pipe breaks, it will be repaired without damage to their properties.
According to many experts there are superior alternatives to the super-pipe.
Two former ministers -- Glyndwr Jenkins, who was Minister of Water Supply under Lindsay Thompson, and Rod Mackenzie, who was Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands under John Cain, Jr -- have been promoting a Barwon Water recommendation of 2003 for a weir on the Gellibrand River capturing some of its water, together with a pipe to the West Barwon Dam. At present only 7 per cent of Gellibrand River water is used, while 93 per cent flows into the sea. This option, which would be of low environmental impact, would be economical and would take the pressure off the water supply that is presently shared between Ballarat and Geelong.
Last year this house debated a motion to condemn the government for its handling of water. I voted against that motion because I did not want the first Democratic Labor Party vote in this house in almost 50 years to be condemning anybody. I also do not know if the Kennett government had a much better record on water than the present government does.
However, it seems to me that over a period of decades successive Victorian governments have shown a lack of leadership and have even shown neglect on the water issue. I urge the government to seriously address the concerns of landowners who will be affected by the super-pipe and to cast aside any ideological prejudices it may have against environmentally responsible dams in seeking long-term solutions to the water challenges facing Victoria.
Media 2007-03-07 Goldfields Superpipe
PRESS RELEASE
7 March 2007. Wednesday, 11:00am.
Peter Kavanagh DLP MLC today begins a three day tour of Western Victoria . Mr Kavanagh will visit a farm outside Ballarat and then be briefed on the local water situation at Central Highlands Water.
At 2.30 pm Mr Kavanagh will attend the Newlyn Sporting Complex, on the Midlands Highway at Newlyn to meet local people who say that they have a message they want given to the Victorian government. Many framers in the area are expressing frustration that the government is not listening to them.
A Bill that will facilitate the construction of the "superpipe" will be introduced into the Legislative Council very soon. Mr Kavanagh has previously promised to listen to Western Victorians before making decisions on water.
For further comment please call 03 5222 1503.
7 March 2007. Wednesday, 11:00am.
Peter Kavanagh DLP MLC today begins a three day tour of Western Victoria . Mr Kavanagh will visit a farm outside Ballarat and then be briefed on the local water situation at Central Highlands Water.
At 2.30 pm Mr Kavanagh will attend the Newlyn Sporting Complex, on the Midlands Highway at Newlyn to meet local people who say that they have a message they want given to the Victorian government. Many framers in the area are expressing frustration that the government is not listening to them.
A Bill that will facilitate the construction of the "superpipe" will be introduced into the Legislative Council very soon. Mr Kavanagh has previously promised to listen to Western Victorians before making decisions on water.
For further comment please call 03 5222 1503.
Media 2007-03-06 Goldfields Superpipe
PRESS RELEASE
6 March 2007. Tuesday, 11:30pm.
Peter Kavanagh, DLP MLC, will begin a tour of Western Victoria tomorrow, Wednesday 8 March. Mr Kavanagh will visit a farm outside Ballarat and then be briefed on the local water situation at Central Highlands Water.
At 2.30 pm Mr Kavanagh will attend the Newlyn Sporting Complex, on the Midlands Highway at Newlyn to meet local people who say that they have a message they want given to the Victorian government. Many framers in the area are expressing frustration that the government is not listening to them.
A Bill that will facilitate the construction of the "superpipe" will be introduced into the Legislataive Council very soon. Mr Kavanagh has previously promised to listen to Western Victorians before making decisions on water.
For further comment please call 03 5222 1503.
6 March 2007. Tuesday, 11:30pm.
Peter Kavanagh, DLP MLC, will begin a tour of Western Victoria tomorrow, Wednesday 8 March. Mr Kavanagh will visit a farm outside Ballarat and then be briefed on the local water situation at Central Highlands Water.
At 2.30 pm Mr Kavanagh will attend the Newlyn Sporting Complex, on the Midlands Highway at Newlyn to meet local people who say that they have a message they want given to the Victorian government. Many framers in the area are expressing frustration that the government is not listening to them.
A Bill that will facilitate the construction of the "superpipe" will be introduced into the Legislataive Council very soon. Mr Kavanagh has previously promised to listen to Western Victorians before making decisions on water.
For further comment please call 03 5222 1503.
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