Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It was effectively the Rudd Labor government—when Wayne Goss was the premier, Kevin Rudd was his chief of staff. Lake Baroon is one of those facilities that will be linked via the water-grid network to a thirsty population in Brisbane. Local residents of the Sunshine Coast have been blessed with an adequate water supply as a result of sensible planning foresight by the Maroochy and Caloundra councils—and we may well pay a financial penalty for that foresight. Lake Baroon is relatively young, with its construction having been completed as recently as 1989. It covers some 380 hectares and is the main water supply for the Caloundra and Maroochy local government areas. It is located within a very efficient catchment, and it is not altogether unusual to have a relatively small downpour that makes a bigger than expected impact on water levels in the dam. When full, it holds a maximum of 61,000 megalitres.

The intention of the state Labor government is to pipe water from Lake Baroon to Brisbane. Brisbane has a number of other water supplies with much higher capacities. It is not hard to see that Lake Baroon would have little impact on the overall water demands of Brisbane, yet its connection to the water grid would come at considerable cost to local residents, who will find themselves suffering considerable water restrictions and, quite possibly, disastrous water shortages as well as increased water costs. We have also been told that it is possible that local Sunshine Coast residents will have to fund the cost of the pipeline which will take their resource away from them. That is astounding.

Water in south-east Queensland would not be the problem it is now had the Labor government taken sensible decisions in the past and planned for our increased population. It does seem that the state Labor government is determined to deprive Sunshine Coast residents of their planned water supplies by piping our water to Brisbane. If the water goes to Brisbane it will not make any difference to Brisbane but it will make a huge difference to the Sunshine Coast. I condemn the state Labor government.

See this speech in context