Melbourne water storage levels at highest level since 1997

[Resurrection]

Last time Melbourne had more than 70% of the dams filled at this time of year was 15 years ago.

http://www.melbournewater.com.au/con...zoom_graph.asp

Anybody want to buy a desalination plant? Brand new, never used and still under warranty.

[GhiaEB]

And when the next drought comes? Will you still be saying the desal plant was a bad idea?

Is it better to have and not need, then need and not have?

[chamb0]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Last time Melbourne had more than 70% of the dams filled at this time of year was 15 years ago.

http://www.melbournewater.com.au/con...zoom_graph.asp

Anybody want to buy a desalination plant? Brand new, never used and still under warranty.

Sounds like you have a thorough understanding of the El Niño / La Nina cycles, and should be in charge of Australia's water management.

[2011G6E]

GODDAMN YOU GLOBAL WARMING THAT'S CAUSING AUSTRALIA TO BE IN PERMANENT DROUGHT!!!*








* according to "experts" like Tim Flannery...

[robertjp]

the labour government in vic had done some silly things, the desal plant is not one of them. The only person I've heard of that could predict the future was Hari Seldom (but this is a fictional character) so without resorting to building another dam (where would the water come from to fill it) this was the only viable option.

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by GhiaEB

And when the next drought comes? Will you still be saying the desal plant was a bad idea?

Is it better to have and not need, then need and not have?

It would have been better to build a smaller desal plant.

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by robertjp

the labour government in vic had done some silly things, the desal plant is not one of them. The only person I've heard of that could predict the future was Hari Seldom (but this is a fictional character) so without resorting to building another dam (where would the water come from to fill it) this was the only viable option.

Without getting into politics, I have one word for the above statement.. Bollocks!
If they'd dug a dam or 2 wouldn't they be bloody FULL now?
Tim Flannery (It'll never rain again) and the dunderheads that signed off on that Wonthaggi "white elephant" (that we'll be paying dearly forever and forever for) should be drawn and quartered for their blatent ineptness and irresponsibilty!

[pottery beige]

desal..

damned if you do.. dammed if you dont..

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

desal..

damned if you do.. dammed if you dont..

A desalination plant was required. However the size of the Wonthagi plant is way too large and expensive.

[Auslandau]

Pfffft ..... haven't you built a 351? Why go stock when you can go ballistic for just that little bit more. Nothing is too large!

[Franco Cozzo]

Would like to have neigborhood water fights again like back in the 90s growing up as a kid. Dust off the ol' supersoaker, I've still got it there.

AFF national water fight lol, Melbourne is hosting it.

[dave351cid]

get a year or two of half decent rain and every one quickly forgets about the dry times. untill the taps stop running. you can never have two much usable water.

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Pfffft ..... haven't you built a 351? Why go stock when you can go ballistic for just that little bit more. Nothing is too large!

Nothing is too large? That depends on who is paying the bill.

[Cheese3]

The only problem i have with the desal plant is the technology they are using is like 25+ years old, they would of been better using a newer more efficient.

You pay peanuts you get monkeys...

[BHDOGS]

well since your so flush with water maybe you could put some back into the Murray and give us s.a people a break for once instead of your own

[mik]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Nothing is too large? That depends on who is paying the bill.

well the thing is, the population is growing all the time, in 5/10/20 years we may well need it, the way i look at it , it`s cheaper to build a big bugger now than build 3 small ones in ten years time, and this has also been my view of road making ............do it once do it right, but the bean counters it seems will never let that happen.
there are places in victoria where we could place a dam or two that get decent rainfall, however............. there may be a frog living there...........and we can`t upset the greenies can we.........

[damoose]

Far far better to be in control of your water supply than to rely on the weather to fill a dam or 2

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by mik

well the thing is, the population is growing all the time, in 5/10/20 years we may well need it, the way i look at it , it`s cheaper to build a big bugger now than build 3 small ones in ten years time, and this has also been my view of road making ............do it once do it right, but the bean counters it seems will never let that happen.
there are places in victoria where we could place a dam or two that get decent rainfall, however............. there may be a frog living there...........and we can`t upset the greenies can we.........

So you are a fan of keynesian economics? I pity you.

[Brent]

This is a can of worms unto itself, but if there's one phrase that irked me more than anything else during the horrid drought we had for the past 10 years, it was the catchcry "building a new dam won't make it rain".

Imagine, just for a moment, if the previous generation thought this way, and thus decided not to build the Thomson dam. At its original design phase in the late 60s, it was hailed as the way to "droughtproof" Melbourne, providing backup in the dry periods long before climate change became a fashionable throwaway line. Imagine if those same people said hell, why bother, the Cardinia and the Upper Yarra dams will do.

God thank those people who had an inkling of foresight, otherwise Melbourne, as a city, wouldn't exist today.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

well since your so flush with water maybe you could put some back into the Murray and give us s.a people a break for once instead of your own

I believe that Vic will be selling water to S.A.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

So you are a fan of keynesian economics? I pity you.

pity me all you wan`t, had the dry spell that ended a couple of years ago NOT ended, we would possibly have no water other than what that desal plant could have produced at this time, i suspect you would not be whining about how much it costed then.............. on the other hand

[Resurrection]

Approaching 80% full

http://www.melbournewater.com.au/con...zoom_graph.asp

[Resurrection]

Above 80% full for the first time in more than 15 years.

http://www.melbournewater.com.au/con...zoom_graph.asp

[DENKO]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Anybody want to buy a desalination plant? Brand new, never used and still under warranty.

What year model is it? Does it have leather trim and a sunroof? Is it manual or auto?

[Agent86]

Originally Posted by Cheese3

The only problem i have with the desal plant is the technology they are using is like 25+ years old, they would of been better using a newer more efficient.

You pay peanuts you get monkeys...

Pay peanuts? What are you on and where can i get some?

The colossal amount of funding that has been frittered away (over and above what it should have cost ) is unreal.

I hauled a fair few co crete precast slabs in there, and am at a loss how things have been allowed to operate in the manner they are.

[neptune blue]

The technology is reverse osmosis wich is the most efficient way of extracting the salt. It's the same process that is used all over the world
The hold up has been in the construction
A ridiculous site E.B.A that allowed people to be sent home will full pay if they were alcohol affected !( just one example)

I also believe the there wasn't a full week worked on the project for the bulk of the construction phase , they would stop work if someone if one sneezed in the wrong direction. These and other things contributed to the cost blow out to the point where the company building the facility has sold of another arm of its business to off set some of the losses

How can we attract investment and jobs in Victoria when we can't build infrastructure or manufacturing facilities in a reasonable time frame without ridiculous and unnecessary disruptions to the project

[LOWAU]

Sparkies were earning more then $180k a year at the desal plant and hardly working.

At the time we needed one because the previous governments didn't build a damn in time. Labor government = blowout. The libs had a plans for a smaller more efficient plant.

[Nova 8]

Drought is coming, and its better to build it bigger and to compenstate for population growth. Those who complain it costs to much now cause its too big would also complain when in needs upgrading in a decade. Cant please the masses...

Why would SA buy water off Vic? we got our own desal plant to cover half our useage and full dams

[MAD]

How many times did Gippsland flood during the drought?
A dam on the Mitchell River would have been nice and full. And perhaps even saved a few insurance claims as well.

How long did it take the state to act on the drought?
The Mitchell River dam was proposed many years before the desal plant, and had it been actioned would have captured many floods.

Search youtube for "tophers unpopular view". There's a great idea in there about transporting water from one of Tasmania's dams without pumps, god love gravity. That dam also historically is always flushing most of the rainfall it sees out to sea.

[Whitey-AMG]

All safeguards are too expensive until you need em
House insurance / car insurance / health insurance etc...
We all pay..." just in case "

The issue as i see it is not the requirement for Plan B
Its what Plan B should actually consist of.
There were other viable options to the desal plant that maybe needed a closer more thorough public examination.
North south pipelines and other water networking ideas including better stream and tributary management.

Anyways...water is life....we need it one way or the other.
No use arguing over the best approach for too long.....mother nature may turn the taps off again anytime....