Wednesday 3 July 2013

Water, Water - Not any

I had an interesting conversation with a colleague this morning:- he was telling me of a report that he had read in the local press about how, if it wasn't for the de-salination plant and the underground water of the Jandakot and Gnagara mounds, Perth would have no water.

Not to rain on the politicians' self-congratulatory parade - no shit, Sherlock.

In 1979, my (extended) family, along with many others no doubt, held a family reunion to celebrate the Western Australian sesquicentenary. We decided to hold it on the farm originally settled by our ancestor (one of the first 100 settlers on the first fleet to the Swan River Colony).

Of course this was an issue - the farm was compulsorily acquired by the State government in 1976 - so access required all sorts of permits and clearances, primarily from the Water Corporation.

The reason for the acquisition was "to build a new dam on the Serpentine River to ensure Perth's water supplies into the new century".

It's now 2013, but there is no new dam. Is it any wonder that Perth has a water supply issue, with visionary planning like that?





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