Qld reviewing recycled water policy

(AAP) - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says she will accept independent advice on when recycled water should be introduced to the south-east's drinking supply.

Ms Bligh shifted her stance on the issue of recycled drinking water on Tuesday.
She said recent rain, the success of water restrictions and progress on other
drought-proofing methods meant the current trigger point to add it to dams should be
reviewed.
The current trigger is when the combined levels of the Wivenhoe, Somerset and North
Pine dams are at least 40 per cent.
Ms Bligh said the Queensland Water Commission (QWC) was due to make its
recommendation on the new trigger point on Wednesday night, but it could opt to take
more time.
She committed her government to following whatever recommendation was made.
"I do want the water commission to be rigorous and careful and to give advice that
is sound," Ms Bligh told reporters.
"And if that means taking a bit longer to do it then I'm very relaxed about that
because I want the advice to be something we can all feel confident upon, and rely
upon, and for them to feel that they've given the best possible advice."
But Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said the QWC was not independent and would
deliver whatever decision Ms Bligh wanted.
He said he would disband it if he won next year's election.
"The water commission has not been, in our view, doing a very responsible job for
the people of south-east Queensland," he told reporters.
"It was put there to take the political heat and responsibility away from government
and it's proven to be an arm of the Labor Party and their water policy.
"And as far as we're concerned they'd want to pull up their socks or they're in big
strife ... I would prefer not to have them."
Mr Springborg said decisions on all aspects of water should be up to the water
minister.
He said he had "some concerns" about drinking recycled effluent, although he
admitted he would also add it to dams if necessary.
"People may be prepared to do things in a desperate situation that they would not
otherwise," he said.
Mr Springborg would not commit to what he thought was an appropriate trigger point
for drinking recycled water, but believed a Liberal National Party (LNP) government
would have enough time to build a desalination plant at Bribie Island and complete
rainwater capture and storm water harvesting measures before dams ran low again.
Meanwhile, Ms Bligh said opponents of the controversial Traveston Crossing Dam had
celebrated prematurely with Tuesday's news that the project would be delayed by up
to four years while mitigation work was done.
She said she was still committed to building it and expected the federal government
to report on whether it had approved the project early next year.
Mitigation work would address damage done by farmers to the environment, which is
home to threatened species such as the lungfish, turtles and cod, she said.
"I think it's important to understand why these species are endangered," she said.
"There's no dam there now and they're endangered.
"And they are endangered because their habitat has been removed."