The Victorian Government’s plan of spending 24 billion dollars on building the Victorian desalination plant caused a controversy.
“If we don’t have a supply of water that is not climate proof,” Kelly O’Shanassy, Environment Victoria CEO said, “then more and more stress will be put on taking water out of our rivers to supply Melbournians”
The Victorian Government planed to build the desal plant to solve the water shortage problem in 2007
“There was no doubt that in building a large industrial plant with fairly well known mature technology will actually provide you a secure source of water,” Dr. Grace Mitchell, Independent Water Use Expert said, “(but it’s) energy hungry source of water.”
Kelly O’Shanassy said, “(The desal plant) is the most energy intensive way in the world you can use to create water”
To pump the desalinated water from Wonthaggi to Melbourne need lots of energy, this plant is an environmental disaster.
Dr. Mitchell said she was afraid that using the desalination plants would cause more environmental problems.
This desalination plant can secure the water, but cannot secure the river, such as Gippsland Lake and Yarra River.
Kelly O’Shanassy said, “Of course if you don’t have a healthy river, you can’t have a secure water supply for consumers.”
Alstomkeys 