Shepparton News
Thursday 5/7/2007 Page: 4
Thirst for water savings should not distract from the environmental cost of a piped water system, says Goulburn Valley Environmental Group. Spokesman Terry Court said the current gravity irrigation system was relatively cheap in terms of carbon emissions, but the pumping of water savings to Melbourne would come at a cost to the environment.
Campaspe Shire Council Mayor John Elborough raised the issue of pollution from pumping earlier this week as a point that needed clarification from the Victorian Government. If diesel or electric pumps are going to be used to transport water to Melbourne, we want to know how the greenhouse gas is going to be dealt with," Cr Elborough said.
"Wind power could be used to power the pumps, like what they're talking about at the desalinisation plant." Mr Court said government needed to make sure a piped system could operate efficiently in the future. "I would think it would be appropriate to offset any carbon generated with renewable energy sources such as wind energy," he said. The council will be represented on the Foodbowl Modernisation Project steering committee by its chief executive Keith Baillie.
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