INVESTIGATIONS
TERMITE INVASION COLLEGE RIDDLED WITH WHITE ANTS
15/12/2007
It has been found recently that the Echuca College campus in Crofton Street is riddled withtermites. It was thought that the termites had disappeared at least 2 years ago when Mr. Joel Watson re-modelled the school to hopefully wipe out the bugs, but it is apparent that they have returned. Sources confirm that a large majority of the school now has been affected by termites, and there is only one device in the whole school trying to stop it. This device is a electronic gadget that creates a high pitched sound that supposedly scares away the termites, however does not appear to be working well as the termites continue to invade. A veteran science teacher at the school: Mr. Kevin Morgan told the Crofton Street Times “The whole school is absolutely riddled with them (termites) especially around the health room.” “They get into the walls and into the wiring” he said. The Crofton Street Times has created an image of the school, zoning off all the area’s that have termites (see page 2) in an aerial view. Stories have also emerged that in the men’s bathroom, the termites had eaten away all the wood underneath the porcelain toilet bowl and the linoleum was the only thing holding up the bowl. “If someone fat had have come and sat on it they would have fallen through.” Mr. Morgan said. Fortunately the termite problem is not so bad that the school might be at risk of collapsing. However a controversy has arisen about the fate of Echuca College Crofton Street. As the school will be moving to the College Drive campus in 2009,
the battle is on for four groups to take hold of the building. These groups are St. Josephs College Echuca, Echuca Caravan Park, St. Mary’s Primary School and The Shire of Campaspe. It has been said St. Joseph’s might want to buy the College to extend their school as they are very short of room at the moment. “St. Josephs are building on every square inch at the moment.” Mr. Morgan said. If that happened, it would work out well for that school as the two schools are situated close together, and students could move easily between campuses. Echuca Caravan Park would want to use the land where the College is now to put in more cabins in. This would mean that the school would have to be bulldozed. However they would be unable to build cabins on the oval area as that is in a flood zone. This plan would not work out for Crofton Street residents, as tourists would drive endlessly down the street to stay in the new cabins. St. Mary’s is also looking at buying the premises. Like St. Josephs, they are also in need of land, and if St. Mary’s sold their property in the middle of town, they could get a huge amount of money, and would be able to buy the College. The Shire of Campaspe has also been seriously looking at the option of turning the whole area into a sporting precinct, which would work out in their favour as there is already an oval, tennis and basketball courts, and a huge gymnasium. The Shire could even extend it on to Victoria Park next to it. The Shire of Campaspe controls Echuca Caravan Park, and is one of the only things making money for the Shire (about a million dollars a year.) The Shire was also deeply involved in the amalgamation of the 2 schools and that perhaps means there is a strong chance that the school will indeed be turned into a caravan park. There are strong tensions right now awaiting the decision of who will take hold of the school, however it is not until 2009 that the Crofton Street campus will move to College Drive.
But whoever takes over the College, it will be their problem to control the termites. Whether they decide to bulldoze the whole building or to turn it into another school, it will be huge event to see the outcome of the College.
BRIDGE MAY COST $100M
26/1/08
The proposed Echuca-Moama bridge may cost up to one hundred million dollars bridge protester Peter Conway has revealed and Ross Veale confirmed. In 2003, a request for $37 million was made for the bridge however now the Victorian State Government has asked for extra funds bringing the price tag up to $50 million. This funding would pay the expenses of a river crossing bridge, but not the highway linking bridges together. An elevated B-double high way is proposed to link a bridge over
the Murray and a bridge over the Campaspe which would stretch over 2km, and supposedly bringing the cost up to one hundred million dollars. VicRoads, the Shire of Campaspe and the NSW and Victorian Governments have asked AusLink (who hands out money grants for road and rail projects) to fund this bridge and continuing highways under the Celebration of Nations Act. The act hands out funding to projects where everyone agrees on the plan. Now, with Yorta Yorta agreeing on the bridge route, VicRoads will commence with presenting the plan to AusLink. Peter Conway and the anti-bridge delegation group have already approached AusLink notifying them of their complaints, and the group is expecting VicRoads request for extra funding under the Celebration of Nations Act to be turned down. Campaspe and Murray shires, VicRoads and the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) met last Thursday to discuss the bridge and when to consult the community. There will be various environmental assessments taken out soon and will be consulting the community in mid-February. “I think it’s the option that’s going to work” Echuca Mayor John Elborough told the Crofton Street Times, however would not comment on other questions. “It’s like an atom bomb, an invasion of the future” Conway said regarding the bridge option. “It’s going to be a hell of a lot dearer than the other options” Ross Veale President of the Echuca-Moama Business and trades association said. Councillor Kevin Simpson of the Echuca Ward has admitted there is a burial ground on the sand hill and told the Crofton Street Times “It will go through the high school and take out some tennis courts.” “The Western option would have cost $45m, this will cost a whole lot more.” He said he has visited the area and had a “general look around.” “I think the Western Option is better for Echuca, but I am prepared to accept the Central option.”
ACCEPTING BEFORE ASSESSING
2/2/2008
Yorta Yorta, Roads and Ports minister Tim Pallas and Jonathan La Nauze from environmental group Friends of the Earth have all agreed on the possible Echuca-Moama bridge route, when no environmental assessments have been taken out yet. This means none of these groups have yet any idea of what a bridge could do to the environment of the area. A spokesperson for the Friends of the Earth group: Jonathan La Nauze congratulated everyone involved with the in-principal agreement for the bridge to go ahead. Records show La Nauze and Henry Atkinson from the Yorta Yorta nation are campaigning together to ensure the Barmah Millewa State Forest be turned into a national park . Yorta Yorta, Friends of the Earth andthe Victorian Government were not the only groups accepting the bridge with out any kind of assessment or study taken out. Just recently Tim Pallas came to Echuca to see the bridge site. With him were representatives from, Vic Roads and Murray and Campaspe Shire Councils, the Aboriginal Land Council and Member for Rodney Paul Weller. “They (the Yorta Yorta people) walked around with us, they had a hand held GPS, and as they walked it recorded the location of those area's most sacred to the Yorta Yorta. At the end of the walk - it was agreed, this is where the bridge could go. As it was the least sacred of all locations” Campaspe Shire CEO Keith Bailey said. No other assessment was carried out. The Crofton Street Times spoke to La Nauze. When asked why he and his organisation agreed to the bridge site without any formal assessments he answered “The site looks like it will affect the environment less than the other sites.” After being told of the presence of the rare squirrel Glider he stated “If those concerns come to light; I think we would be less supportive.” Many bridge protestors have been outraged by the acceptance of the route, and were even more infuriated when Campaspe Shire CEO said this. “We will never have this chance again, this is the first and possibly the only time we may get approval from the Yorta Yorta people to build this bridge, and it does not really matter what is in the way, the bridge will be built.”
HIDDEN SECRETSBRIDGE COVER-UP BECOMES KNOWN
9/2/2008
A cover-up about the proposed Echuca-Moama Bridge has been found, involving VicRoads, the Campaspe and Murray shires and Bridge facilitator Iain Ross. Part of the cover-up is a new map from VicRoads, displaying exact routes of where the bridge could be built. VicRoads had said that no plans or maps had been drawn yet and has made protestors ask ‘what is there to hide?’ Many of the decisions and meetings about the bridge held by Campaspe and Murray shires have not been made public, and most bridge information is taking place behind closed doors. Bridge facilitator Iain Ross has written a controversial letter to Campaspe Shire CEO Keith Bailey about the new bridge option dated 25th September 2007. In the letter it revealed that Murray and Campaspe shires held a meeting discussing a new bridge option on the 23rd June 2007. This means both Murray and Campaspe shires were talking about the new bridge option secretly 6 months before the actual site was released to the public. This information was leaked by an unidentified source. Protestor Peter Conway has displayed this information on his website savevicpark.com.au .That website has received over 400 hits since it was started a month ago. The Crofton Street Times attempted to speak to Mr. Ross, who is a judge at the County Court of Victoria, however was given no comment. Instead Mr. Ross’s secretary Damien Hill gave this statement on behalf of Ross:“His Honour was involved with this matter as a privately appointed mediator before his appointment to the County Court bench. All matters discussed between the parties were of a confidential nature. His Honour is not at liberty to discuss said matters and wishes to make no further comment.” No comment was given when they were asked why the matters were classified as confidential. Mr. Ross is also Vice President of VCAT. Shire CEO Keith bailey also could not be contacted. Recently Yorta Yorta and VicRoads walked the proposed site with Roads Minister Tim Pallas. They had a GPS, and with that the Yorta Yorta marked out all sacred locations. VicRoads has made a map of the bridge route avoiding all sacred positions, as marked on the GPS. This map was also leaked, however VicRoads has denied that they have drawn any sort of map yet. The map shows the bridge path going through the boat ramp and knocking out 6 of the 10 lawn tennis courts, which is quite disturbing. Northern Region Manager of VicRoads, Mal Kersting told The Crofton Street Times “For us to work in that corridor there are likely to be some implications like the High School or the Tennis Club.” He also spoke of a public meeting on about the bridge Wednesday February 20th from 4pm to 8pm at the Echuca Workers Club at the Twin Rivers Function room. Kersting, the 2 shires and the RTA will be there “We are pulling together information currently and doing strategic planning, which involves cultural and heritage surveys, and we only have the
map that shows the proposed corridor.” “Iain Ross had to discuss bridge information with the 2 shires to find what’s right for them for about 6 months.” When Mr. Kersting was told of the leaked map he stated “We’renot hiding anything.”
SHIRE BACKFLIPSCAMPASPE SHIRE ADMITS NO BRIDG AGREEMENT HAS BEEN MADE 1/3/2008
The Shire of Campaspe has admitted that the bridge proposal was never put towards them and that the key stakeholders have not signed an agreement, nor has the shire voted on the alignment. In a confidential email sent by Strategy Executive Manager from the Campaspe Shire, Anne Howard, just after the public display meeting on Wednesday, it read The key stakeholders have not signed off on this alignment. At this Stage they have agreed to a planning study. Those words were even highlighted in bold. Head of administration at the Campaspe Shire, Ken Kidd has said that the proposed bridge alignment was never actually put towards Campaspe Councillors. This was said after Campaspe Shire Councillor Kevin Simpson has said “There has been a 100% agreement between key stakeholders.” He also said that the shire had voted on the alignment, all being positive. Ken Kidd also stated that if the alignment was put towards them, they would probably have disapproved it. He said that if VicRoads persisted with the bridge alignment, the Campaspe Shire would not have the power to stop them. The email was obtained after bridge protestor, and creator of savevicpark.com.au Peter Conway visited the Campaspe Shire offices. He told the Crofton Street Times that he waited in the offices for almost 3 hours, asking for the minutes of the meeting where Shire Councillors agreed on the alignment. Instead, after the long wait Mr. Kidd came out and told him that there was no meeting, because the alignment was never put towards the shire. Anne Howard could not be contacted regarding the matter. For the Shire of Campaspe to admit that there has not been an agreement, is a change of face. When 500 people came and disapproved of the bridge alignment, it told the Campaspe Shire that they were unpopular. This may be the reason for the sudden admittance, and so they have shifted the weight to VicRoads, saying that they were the organisation who came up with the alignment In Anne Howard’s email, it also said that there is a community consultative group to be established. It read A community consultative group is to be established by VicRoads as a vehicle to bring the community’s voice to the project. It said that VicRoads has nominated Bob Adams and Len Hall to be the key contacts of this group.
Mr. Adams and Mr. Hall both attended the public display meeting where Mr. Adams admitted “To be honest I’m just a contractor VicRoads has hired to do this bridge.” In the meeting both men were constantly argued with by protestors (like most other officials there) and it will be quite tiring for them to be on the phone to protestors as a job now. Now that the Shire of Campaspe has admitted that they have not agreed to the bridge, and that it is VicRoads idea for this alignment, the shire has nothing to do with the bridge process and is ‘out of the picture.’ Bob Adams and Len Hall from Vic Roads Bendigo refused to talk to The Crofton Street Times and no comment was made on their behalf. The community’s voice is hard to hear by any of the official bodies, as these bodies have made it extremely hard to come into contact with, or find out any information from. There have been reports of a man waiting in the shire of Campaspe looking for a map of the Bridge, but instead was told to go to VicRoads. Northern Region Manager of VicRoads Mal Kersting was able to speak to The Crofton Street Times. He said “I have not seen that email (by Anne Howard.)” He then went on to say “What we have is an in-principal agreement. This means we have received agreement in-principal from the Campaspe Shire, Murray Shire and Yorta Yorta nation.” That means that the Shire of Campaspe as not told VicRoads that there has been no agreement, or that they have not voted on the alignment. The email was addressed only to people within the Campaspe Shire so it is probable that other key stakeholders do not know of the issue either. “We have commenced the investigations into that corridor. Once we have completed that we will consult the Campaspe Shire as well as the government authority” Kersting said. It is unknown why the Shire of Campaspe have not voted on the alignment, or why they have not told other stakeholders about it. That information may come out in weeks to come at information displays as Mr. Kersting has said “We will hold more of those information displays to keep the public informed and up-to date.” It will be a very long time for this bridge to built anywhere, because of so much instability between key stakeholders and Echuca-Moama save Vic Park group says that it will continue to campaign against it unceasingly.
MEMBERS SELECTED
5/4/2008
Thirteen people have been selected to be on the Community Consultative Committee (CCG) including local residents and anti-bridge demonstrators.
A letter was sent by VicRoads to all members that were selected on Monday. Crofton Street resident Kay McLaurin local business owner Peter Williams, former Campaspe Shire Engineer Alf Grigg and local business man Lyndon Jones were some of 8 local people who were chosen to be in the CCG. Last week The Crofton Street Times reported on Kay McLaurin, who had applied to join the committee. She said she would be surprised if she was selected to join the group saying “I’ve already been known to be strongly apposed to this corridor.” However Northern Region Manager of VicRoads said that it does not matter if you are for or against the proposed bridge. He said “We will consider their application without asking for their particular views on the matter.”
VicRoads states that the CCG is ‘To assist and guide VicRoads with the planning study, a steering committee comprising representatives from the RTA, Campaspe and Murray Shire Councils, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation and VicRoads.’
The Committee has already angered anti-bridge residents because of its ‘gag-like’ protocols that restrain members from talking to the outside world and media about what happens in the Group.
In the letter sent to the new members of the CCG it said that its first meeting is to be held in the Nirebo Hotel Conference Room on Wednesday 16th April at 7pm. The agenda for this first meeting was also listed.
Mal Kersting is a representative from VicRoads at this meeting and he has said that Robin Saunders is the ‘Independent Chair-person’ of this group. Mr. Saunders has had extensive experience in planning studies and has chaired bridge committees for the Western Option in Echuca and river crossings in Robinvale and Swan Hill. He has been described as “Professional, political and popular” amongst VicRoads.
Peter Williams works at the Tangled Garden Book Shop in Echuca. He said “I am very pleased I was selected for this group, I would have been disappointed if I wasn’t selected.” Mr. Williams said “It’s important that the committee is guiding in the right direction to a good decision that we will be stuck with for the next 150 years.” He hopes that the decision chosen will have minimal impact on the town and environment.
“I think the CCG is a great idea. It would be interesting to see what restrictions there are and I would be concerned if it its ‘window dressing’” Mr. Williams said. He thinks that for the Community Consultative Group to be appointed after the bridge decision has been made is the “wrong way round.”
“In the end I would be surprised if this group has any formal power and it has to be able to somehow represent all the views and opinions of the population of Echuca-Moama”
Williams thinks that the protocols are very ‘gag-like’ saying “If you can’ t make any public comment at all, it certainly would be ‘gag-like.’” He thinks individual members should be able to state their position but cant claim power from the group.
Mr. Williams is happy with the appointment of Robin Saunders as Independent Chair-person saying “He (Mr. Saunders) will have no opinion of his own because that’s not his position.”
The Crofton Street Times attempted to speak to Individual Chairperson of the Committee Robin Sanders who currently lives in Melbourne however he refused to comment and was not prepared to talk.
On the web- thecroftonstreettimes.weebly.com
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Resident Kay McLaurin said that she was delighted that she was elected to the committee and was looking forward to the opportunity of making sure she keeps the community as well informed as possible about bridge developments.
20% KNOCK OFF
BRIDGE WILL LOWER HOUSE PRICES BY UP TO 20 PERCENT 12/4/2008
The proposed Echuca-Moama Bridge will cut 20 per cent or more off the price of houses close to the route Property Industry sources have said.
This will cause financial pain for many Crofton Street residents, and also those whose houses look over the Campaspe River.
The source, who did not want to be named because of confidential reasons told The Crofton Street Times that most of the local area around the route will feel the pinch of the bridge financially and the closer your house is to the route, the more money is taken off your overall house price.
“There is no doubt that if your house is next to the bridge you would significantly feel the affect on your property.”
He said there are many factors from the bridge that could cut money from your house price.
They include what distance your property is from the route, what noise you can hear from the bridge, what your house is worth, whether you can see the bridge from your house and if there is increased traffic in your street.
“If you can see it visually it might be a kilometre away, or it could be 100 meters away, which would cause considerable impact to your property.” “If your property is right on the boundary it could cut 30-40% of your property’s value.”
As interest rates inflate and the cost of living rises a 20% drop in your house price would be a terrible wound in your financial balance.
“20% is probably on the low side.”
Housing rate pain is already a real crisis facing Australia’s mortgage market and this bridge will only make it worse for home buyers. The Industry Source said that if your property is not physically affected by the bridge that compensation would not be a factor with property devaluation. “If a corner of your land was cut off by the bridge, then compensation could be available because it is physically affecting your property, but under the current legislation we’re not at liberty to give compensation if it does not” the source said.
The source thinks that 20 percent is a true statement however says “You will have to look through the court cases to see what evidence there is about this.”
Fortunately the property devaluation will not damage the entirety of Echuca’s housing market, but will have a “localised” affect on the neighbourhood around the bridge. The Crofton Street Times spoke to all the Shire of Campaspe councillors about this problem facing residents, who all declined comment.
Echuca Mayor John Elborough said “I wouldn’t have thought compensation was something VicRoads has thought of”’ when asked if compensation would be available. Councillor Murray McDonald of Central Ward said “No, I wouldn’t really know, its one of those things that people will only know if the bridge is built and people start buying houses.” Councillor Neil Repacholi of Deakin Ward said “When you have any sort of development of that scale there is going to be winners and losers and that’s something the Community Consultative Group will have to discuss.” “Technically property devaluation is not an issue in a planning scheme” Mr. Repacholi said.
Councillor for Echuca Kevin Simpson diverted his comment to VicRoads saying “I think you will have to ask VicRoads about that but I don’t think compensation will be available.”
Marion Riley, councillor of the Waranga ward was not ‘prepared’ to make comment telling us “I wouldn’t like to comment on that, I’m not prepared to make a comment on that basis.”
Ian Madison told The Crofton Street Times that we were making things up. “I wouldn’t like to make a comment on that. People have got a negative attitude towards the bridge and will make up all kinds of things” He said.
Property devaluation is now a real issue facing Crofton Street and surrounding area and those closest to the route will be most affected.
TRIPLE BRIDGE PROBE
VICROADS has revealed that it is investigating the possibility of building a third bridge over the Campaspe River that links the proposed ‘Vic Park’ to the existing Echuca-Moama Bridge.
VicRoads said at last week’s Community Consultative Group (CCG) meeting that it they would like the bridge to run along Heygarth Street in the CBD of Echuca.
The Vic Park Bridge and this extension together would create a network of highways running through the town and 3 river crossings.
Members of the CCG had heard rumours of a link in this location, and when asked about it at the meeting had to admit that they are planning for such an alignment.
VicRoads is hoping to build a link on to the proposed ‘Vic Park Bridge’ to link up with the existing bridge. This is where the route would go.
VicRoads are trying to downplay this link as being something for the future as they try not to stir the pot of political controversy any further than the proposed bridge has. However they can not deny the fact that they have begun planning
for this link already.
Bridge noise investigation begins
EXCLUSIVE
TEN sets of sound equipment used to measure noise levels have been installed in areas in the path of the proposed Mid-West Bridge.
This is part of VicRoads noise investigation of the bridge route, and was carried out by Renzo Tonin and Associates who are based in Melbourne.
The equipment is highly advanced and will not pick up sounds from chainsaws and animals as it is able to differentiate these noises from cars and trucks.
However this equipment is vulnerable to air conditioning units and wind, which Echuca has been experiencing recently.
Northern Region manager for VicRoads, Mal Kersting told The Crofton Street Times that the sound equipment is a vital part of the Bridge investigation.
“We engage specialists in their field to do the investigations, it’s under the basis of a contract,” he said when asked about Renzo Tonin.
“It helps us answer the questions about what are the current noise levels there,”
Mr. Kersting said.
No aboriginal remains found despite rumours
THE search for Aboriginal remains by a team of archaeologists has failed to find any trace of bones, despite there being credible rumours of bones being uncovered in the past and cultural heritage experts saying the area could be riddled with grave sites.
The area investigated surrounds the Echuca cemetery near Warren Street. Investigations also took place in Moama in March this year as a ‘cultural heritage walkthrough’ for the proposed Mid-West bridge option.
Expert Dr. Wayne Atkinson, a senior lecturer at Melbourne University says that aboriginal remains could possibly be found.
“There is every possibility of Aboriginal remains being found in and around the town of Echuca,” he told The Crofton Street Times.
“Aboriginal occupation of the area about 20,000 years before present and then factor into that the number of generations that have died and been buried in the land before Echuca and Moama were even thought of, there are at least 800,” he said.
Old rumours exist that bones have been found in the past...
Foreign intelligence snoops through blog
EXCLUSIVE
INDEPENDENT intelligence analyst and controversial blog writer, Peter Coates, regularly detects website searches by foreign intelligence authorities, showing how far the tentacles of global surveillance can reach.
This Moama journalist is now writing a fictional book about his passion for spies, but after just finishing the first chapter is showing no signs of writers block saying he has plenty of big ideas.
However Mr. Coates is still firmly attached to his “intelligence blog” for which he writes articles regularly, some of which have been quite controversial throughout the intelligence world.
An article about the Chinese Olympic torch relay protests in Canberra received a major amount of feedback from many sources, after it revealed that there might be up to 1,000 Chinese spies in Australia.
“Sometimes I know too much about things… Sometimes I don’t know what’s in the public realm and what’s not,” Mr. Coates told The Crofton Street Times.
Other articles about Australian fighter pilot selections and nuclear technology in
foreign countries has also made a stir in the intelligence community, with spooks checking out Mr. Coates’ blog.
“In terms of military interest, it’s mainly US and Australian Defence Departments that visit my blog,” he said.
Mr. Coates is very knowledgeable when talking about global intelligence, saying on his website that he “Formerly worked for the Australian Government on intelligence and policy issues.”
However Coates does not see himself as a James Bond like figure, saying real intelligence is not that physical but
but more to do with regular monitoring of issues.
Coates is reluctant to talk about previous intelligence work for the Government “I remember too much about some matters… I have to limit what I say…Anything I say or write about is based on post government research” Mr. Coates told The Crofton Street Times.
Coates keeps in contact with other members within the intelligence community. His best sources are those who don’t give their identity.
“I sometimes don’t know the identity of these people writing because they might get in trouble for writing to me,” he said.
As he is so passionate about spies he is now writing a book.
“The book is about a French agent who comes to Australia to spy… but I’ve got this problem in that other Australian spy authors I talk to might get ideas,” he joked.
However Mr. Coates’ interests mainly lie with nuclear technology and weapons.
As nuclear trading and dealing between nations is such a major yet sensitive topic currently, Coates is making the most of it by writing very well researched articles that he publishes on his blog.
Coates monitors nuclear weapons issues
across the globe, and writes articles from some respected magazines.
“Although Kevin Rudd has recently set up a commission to push for nuclear non-proliferation, Australia may require a nuclear capability in the long term, as our region changes,” Mr. Coates said in a recent article.
Although most of the intelligence action looks as if it is happening in foreign countries, it may be closer than you believe after the Bendigo Advertiser revealed that spies were riddled through Bendigo, and the region, in the cold war.
“These rumours may relate to the presence of a Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO) office there which may use sensitive pictures/imagery obtained from platforms like satellites,” Coates said when asked about the issue.
The only thing that concerns Coates about Australia’s intelligence is the lack of knowledge.
“The lack of knowledge and experience with overseas affairs in the Australian intelligence industry is concerning.”
WATER THEFT
CLAIMS that Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding will take thirty percent of water from the Eildon reservoir have been confirmed, with vital water planned to be pumped to Melbourne through the North-South Pipeline for urban use.
The Victorian Government is ignoring Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s promise that no water will be taken through
the pipeline for urban consumption, angering drought ravaged farmers even more and Echuca residents who rely on Eildon’s water to survive.
The 10,000 mega litres from Eildon is used as an emergency supply in case blue green algae blooms in local rivers, where it would be released to flush the dangerous bacteria out.
In current climatic conditions, an
algae outbreak is highly probably, worst case scenario being that many local water supplies are contaminated with algae, including Echuca’s.
Despite claims that Holding’s decision is illegal and against legislation, the Water Minister’s water commitment to Melbourne is perfectly legal under the Qualification for Rights Act.
Documents obtained by The Crofton Street Times from Goulbourn-Murray Water, which describe water entitlements to various water companies, reveal that the Victorian Government will indeed take 30% of the water stored in Environmental Reserve in Eildon.
These revelations come just 2 months after Peter Garrett approved the controversial pipeline that was built to take the water savings from the food bowl modernisation project to Melbourne.
Instead water storage will be pumped away in a time when river levels are at a record low and towns are at the risk of running out of water.
The capacity of the dam in Eildon is at just 22%, meaning that the statistics shown above will be much more confronting when they are squeezed together to show the enormity of water planned to be taken.
Federal Member for Murray Dr. Sharman Stone is outraged by these claims.
Dr. Stone has strongly opposed the pipeline ever since its proposal, even confronting Garrett himself, however she says that the river system is extremely sensitive.
“Scientists have already highlighted the extremely poor state of health of the Goulburn River and the removal of a single drop of environmental flow from the Goulburn system is an indictment on the Victorian Government,” she said.
“They are handing out the precious
Water Quality Reserve like men with no hands. Not only have they allocated part of the Reserve to the Goldfields super pipe, they have also declared that the Environmental Quality Reserve will be used to make up the 75,000 mega litres for the North South pipeline in 2010 when no other water is likely to be available,” she stated.
She said that the Victorian Government has not yet submitted the Food bowl Modernisation Project to the Federal Government – as required by the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act – yet it has still been approved.
“I call on the Federal Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett to put an immediate stop to the use of the environmental reserve and the construction of the North South pipeline,” she said
BRIDGE BACK-UP
EXCLUSIVE
THE CURRENTLY proposed Central-West Bridge option is not the only bridge option for Echuca after the Save Vic Park group has drawn up a ‘visionary’ alternative that would travel through Echuca’s eastern industrial district.
The route, leaked exclusively to The Crofton Street Times, would revive an alternative Eastern Option and also has the potential support of the Yorta Yorta aboriginal group.
The Save Vic Park group says that this route – although not ‘set in concrete’ –offers solutions to ease truck congestion in town as well as re-routing the rail lines, to give much more space for urban growth.
It also offers a smooth link to the Murray Valley Highway, from the Cobb Highway, bypassing traffic around Echuca.
This alternative, according to the Save Vic Park group, plans ahead to suit the towns growth – unlike the proposed Mid-West route, which cuts through the middle of Echuca.
The re-routing of the rail lines would also open up the possibility of using the currently under utilized rail bridge as a pedestrian crossing or another traffic lane at peak times.
The route could also be easily expanded right down to the Strathallan Bridge, thus provided a link to the Northern Highway.
The Group is calling their plan a much more ‘logical’ alternative to the other options, and has a much smoother traffic flow compared to the Mid-West bridge option.
