Garrett approves Vic desalination plant

(AAP) - Australia's biggest desalination plant has cleared its last major hurdle, but there's concern over another Victorian water project.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett on Friday gave his conditional approval
to the Wonthaggi desalination plant, on Victoria's southeast coast.
He was immediately pilloried by opposition parties and protesters claiming it was a
sell-out on the environment.
"This is the Rudd government helping fund a huge greenhouse gas and salt-producing
factory to supply extra water for a government which is way behind world's best
practice in collecting rainwater, storing stormwater and reusing and recycling water
currently available," Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said.
With Melbourne's water storages dipping below 30 per cent capacity, there's concern
that promised reserves flowing from the controversial north-south pipeline might be
drying up.
The Victorian government has promised Melbourne 75 billion litres of water annually
in savings from irrigation upgrades in the Murray Goulburn.
But authorities secretly fear flows in 2011 could dwindle to as little as 10 billion
litres.
The government is relying on the pipeline to prop up supplies before the
desalination plant opens at the end of 2011.
RMIT University expert in natural resource engineering Professor John Buckeridge
said decent winter rain would save Melbourne from running out of water.
"But if we have an extension of the drought and, again, if we fail to get rainfall
when we anticipate getting it, it could be touch and go."
Acting Premier Robs Hulls refused to say how much water was expected to flow down
the pipeline after 2010.
"I'm not going to get into the area of making predictions as to what might happen in
two or three years' time in relation to rainfall and the like," he said.
The equally contentious desalination plant will generate more than 150 billion
litres of water a year at a cost of more than $3 billion.
Mr Garrett approved the project subject to the development of strategies to help
protect the Orange-bellied Parrot, Growling Grass Frog, Giant Gippsland Earthworm
and the Dwarf Galaxias fish.
He must approve them before construction can start.
"I am fully satisfied that with the conditions I have imposed on this approval ...
this project will not have a significant impact on nationally protected matters," he
said.
Federal opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said desalination should be a
last resort.
"This project is wrong, wrong for the site, a wrong use of resources and wrong for
the environment."
Victorian opposition leader Ted Baillieu said it was no surprise Mr Garrett had
"ticked a box" for his "Labor mates", adding there was no consultation.
Desalination protesters have vowed to continue their fight.
Melbourne consumers used an average 134 litres of water a day this week, the lowest
since the Target 155 campaign started in December.
But despite 40mm of rain falling, water storages continued to recede.