A Melbourne Water document rediscovered in a Google search shows that some environmental studies required for the North South Pipeline will not be finished until 2009. The document produced in April, is correspondence between Melbourne Water and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

This raises the question – do the Federal and State governments intend to commence building the pipeline before the necessary environmental studies are complete? Or will the project be delayed for at least another six months?

“We have been informed that the Brumby Government wants to start construction in mid July,” said Plug The Pipe spokesperson Jeff Spencer. “However this document I found through a web search shows that a number of important environmental surveys are incomplete and cannot be completed in some cases until 2009.”

“This document also proves our contention that the pipeline is still being designed.”

“It would be a new low in environmental management if Peter Garrett approved a project which is still under design and where environmental studies are incomplete,” said Mr Spencer.

“The Brumby Government and Melbourne Water are further exposed for a lack of due process. This document was buried in thousands of pages of documents put to a hasty public Advisory Committee hearing convened by Planning Minister Madden to assess the environmental impacts of the proposed pipeline.”

“Also the document does not mention the crisis state of the Murray Darling Basin. It does not ask the obvious – can another 75 billion litres be taken from this system? What faith can we have in government authorities who pretend the river system is not in a catastrophic state?” concluded Mr Spencer.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DOCUMENT 

Contact: Jeff Spencer 0418 328 108