Water protest

By Lia Bichel
JUST 40 people gathered outside of Water Minister Tim Holding’s office in Springvale to protest against the State Government’s water policy on Friday.
Protesters gathered just before noon and expressed their disappointment through music, chants, and posters in hopes that the government would address their concerns and consider various alternatives.
Campaign co-ordinator Cam Walker said he was pleased with the protest turnout and the support from Springvale residents. “I was actually happy with the amount of people who turned out,” he said. “To be honest, I was surprised at how enthusiastic everyone was. There were people honking their horns at us, locals stopped to converse, and no-one refused a lobby post card. We had a warm welcome.”
Protester Paul Bickerstaff, from Wonthaggi, argued that the toxins generated from the desalination plant were harmful to human health and will lead to extinction of local sea life.
“The desalination plant will use an enormous amount of energy, equal to 333,000 more cars on the road,” he said. “The chemicals generated are extremely dangerous to our health and it will pump toxins into the sea and eventually kill off all the sea life in the Bass Strait.”
Mr Bickerstaff said he was also concerned about the cost of the desalination plant. “The test plant isn’t even going yet and the government is already $60 million over budget,” he said.
Mr Walker said the group raised concerns about the desalination plant, but also offered solutions for a sustainable water future, such as support tanks, and retro-fitting dual-flushing toilets.
“We also acknowledge that the government is doing a lot of hard work to secure our water for the future, but they just need to rethink their strategies, and consider alternatives that are more sustainable for our environment,” he said.
Mr Holding did not address the angry crowd.