Round two in stoush over new dam push

Geelong’s new councillor has hit back at an MP who publicly mauled him over his call in last week’s Independent for State Government to investigate building a new dam.
Andrew Katos said the “bluff and bluster” of Labor Member for South Barwon Michael Crutchfield would do nothing to help the region over its water shortage.
Cr Katos, a Liberal party member, said Mr Crutchfield had “nothing to fear” from the dam call.
“It is unseemly that he should negatively criticise and reject the proposal out of hand, trying to reduce this issue to a political debate instead of an informed exploration of water resource options,” Cr Katos said.
“Mr Crutchfield has an uncompromising reputation. It seems to be his way or no way on many issues.”
Last week Mr Crutchfield called Cr Katos a “Liberal apparatchik” who had brought party politics to council with the dam call.
Cr Katos, who had won a by-election for Geelong’s Deakin ward a week earlier, had ambushed his council colleagues “before he (had) even taken off his training wheels”, Mr Crutchfield said.
He invited Cr Katos to a meeting so he could learn “how council operates” and its water policy.
Cr Katos said he “gladly accepted” the invitation.
“On behalf of the residents and businesses of Deakin Ward and Geelong, I will seek Mr Crutchfield’s support for State Government funding to help with the cost of the proposed independent water study,” Cr Katos said.
He believed that “negative, blinkered party politics of the past” would not solve the region’s water woes.
Cr Katos also hit out at the state’s “Geelong water tax” of $100 million for a pipeline from Melbourne.
“This will be a huge impost on working families during a period of high inflation.”
Cr Katos said a dam might be a cheaper and more effective option than the Government’s $600 million plan for the region’s water supplies, including the pipeline.
A Government no-dams policy adopted under former premier Steve Bracks meant the plan had not considered a dam.
“It makes common sense that we should consider all the options to solve our water problems,” Cr Katos said.
In the 1980s Barwon Water bought land, which it still owns, in the Otways for a new dam.
Mr Crutchfield the week said the dam call revealed Cr Katos was already aiming at a career in politics.
“This issue has been studied to death and is more about Cr Katos’s dreams of Liberal party preselection,” Mr Crutchfield said.
“Deakin voters should feel conned about Cr Katos running his extensive council campaign promoting himself as an independent then once elected blatantly upsetting councillors with party-political antics.”
Mr Crutchfield said the dam debate was “done and dusted” when voters returned Labor in 2006 with its no-dams policy.
“Cr Katos is well-aware building a new dam has been ruled out and we’re well-advanced securing Geelong’s supply for the next 50 years through such measures as connecting to Melbourne’s water, recycling and continued conservation measures.”