SE Qld dams `highest in nine years`

The Queensland government is rethinking a planned relaxation of water restrictions,
despite healthy dam levels, in order to put off building unpopular desalination
plants.
Water levels in southeast Queensland's dams on Monday were the highest in nine years
following weekend rainfall that put combined dam levels at 94 per cent.
But Premier Anna Bligh said the soon-to-be-finalised SEQ Water Strategy, not recent
rainfall, would determine future water restrictions.
Water conservation measures in place now set a daily target of 200 litres per person
per day.
The strategy would look at whether that target should be relaxed to 230 litres a
day, as earlier planned, or kept at 200 litres, Ms Bligh said.
"The reason why we are now reconsidering that ... is whether or not that would
influence the timing of new water sources like desalination plants," she told
reporters in Brisbane.
She said population forecasts suggested further water sources, like the plants,
would be needed between 2015 and 2030.
The initial plan had been to build the desalination plants between 2016 and 2020,
but that would be delayed, she said.
But the government has put aside land - at Lytton, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island - so
a government of the future could build desalination plans in the 2020s, should they
need to.
A desalination plant is already built on the Gold Coast.
Ms Bligh said there was no room for complacency despite the high dam levels, and the
long-term water strategy would be released soon.
"We have learned over the last few years how quickly, when we don't get rain, those
dam supplies can whittle away," she said.
"... We're looking at how far off we can delay them (desalination plants) but we
will not be delaying putting the land aside."