Authority ‘up the creek’ on savings

Peter Farago
GEELONG’S council has set a big challenge for itself, developers, Barwon Water and State Government – to deliver a sustainable community at Armstrong Creek.
And already there seems to be some doubt over its challenging agenda, according to a City-sponsored report outlining how the suburb can save 75 per cent of its potential drinking water use.
Planning portfolio-holder Cr Rod Macdonald and City planners unveiled the council’s bold vision for the suburb last week.
Cr Macdonald drew somewhat of a line in the sand on council’s sustainability ideals for Armstrong Creek.
It seems ‘sustainability’ is no longer a buzz word at City Hall.
Council wants Armstrong Creek to provide homes and employment for its inhabitants.
And it wants more green spaces than traditional developments to allow residents room to breathe. But the big-ticket item is its vision to create a model suburb of water and energy efficiency.
A major public criticism of recent residential expansion proposals is their impact on our already-struggling water supplies.
Well, this time City Hall has the answer.
And it’s not taking water from Melbourne residents or farmers in the Goulburn Valley.
The water will come from a massive expansion in reuse.
City Hall commissioned Bonacci Water to analyse integrated water, stormwater and wastewater options for Armstrong Creek with an eye to cut drinking water use and carbon emissions.
The firm proposed options including rainwater tanks and water-efficient appliances for all homes, use of wastewater treated in the suburbs for flushing toilets and irrigation and mandating drought-tolerant gardens that, together, would cut consumption of drinking water 75 per cent and outflow of wastewater 65 per cent.
Local treatment of wastewater to feed a third-pipe system would also cut energy use, Bonacci predicted.
This assumption was made in the knowlegde that an energy-hungry desalination plant at Wonthaggi would boost Geelong’s water supply post 2011.
Bonacci predicted that adopting all the saving and recyling options as well as further cuts to consumption of 25 per cent would make the proposed construction of a Melbourne-Geelong pipeline unnecessary for up to 30 years.
But there was a catch.
In its discussions with various stakeholders, Bonacci revealed that Barwon Water was “hesitant” about alternative wastewater treatment options at Armstrong Creek.
The authority had told Bonacci it would not cross-subsidise a private third-pipe system but was prepared to operate such a system to access the income stream.
And Barwon Water was hesitant about the financial merits of a third-pipe when a Melbourne-Geelong pipeline would provide an abundance of potable water to the area.
So it seems the authority is at least reluctant to allow private companies to install cutting-edge technology to save water because there will be plenty of water flowing from Melbourne anyway.
City Hall’s vision for drastic cuts to water use should be given every chance to succeed because the alternative is to continue to use more of a scarce resource and put our environment at peril.