Toowoomba Referendum - My Thoughts

Well I'm really disappointed at Toowoomba tonight.

I'm not going to get on my high horse too much, mainly because I'm tired - usually I wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

I posted in http://4350water.blogspot.com this comment which pretty much sums up my thoughts:

"Congratulations to Di Thorley and her staunch supporters who tried their hardest to lead the people of Toowoomba through this water crisis.

Unfortunately due to the narrow mindedness of mostly, dare I say, older "living in the Clive days" members of our fair city, Toowoomba is now back at square one.

Thankyou Toowoomba, I hope you're proud of yourselves!"

It's certainly been an interesting period in the history of Toowoomba, and looking back at other such instances in Toowoomba, it's not surprising the referendum was defeated - we're not known for liking change, in reality, it's a surprise someone like Di Thorley was elected to the mayoralty in the first place, let alone for a second term.

I love you Di!

Peace out!

Toowoomba Referendum

Toowoomba City Councillor Graham Barron has told the Courier Mail he believes the city's residents will vote down the proposal to add recycled effluent to the water supply if much of today's sentiment is anything to go by.

“It is not looking overwhelming either way but there is a slight indication that the people of Toowoomba do not want to drink sewage water,” he said.

With just over two hours until polls close, it looks set to be a close race to get the controversial plan over the line.

From talking with voters today, there have been mixed reactions - some saying they'd made up their minds "ages ago", to those who were still making up their minds as they walked through the gates to cast their votes.

Whichever the outcome, it seems that the idea of recycling sewerage will not go away, with Premier Peter Beattie suggesting that even if Toowoomba residents vote "No", he will continue to advertise the pros of recycling water well into the future.

Toowoomba Referendum

CITY STILL DIVIDED OVER WATER FUTURES AS POLLS NEAR CLOSE

With four hours to go before polls close, Toowoomba residents are continuing to vote on the council’s plan to recycle waste water to supplement the city’s water supply.

Rosemary Morley, the co-ordinator of the Citizens Against Drinking Sewerage (CADS) group was ready to cast her ballot, letting the media know in no uncertain terms how she plans to vote.

“There’s nowhere else in the world that’s doing it at this rate, and we’re not convinced about the safety of it, because there’s no long term study where society has done it at 29 – 40% sewerage,” she says.

But despite the polling booth at Centenary Heights State High School being a flurry of media activity due to the presence of many staunch “No” campaigners, members of the Green’s Party were still out in force.

Bede, a member of the party, reiterated the Green’s view that recycled water is important for the future sustainability of the state.

“We have to work towards a sustainable outcome, things like bores and that sort of thing leads to salinity, and it’s not a resource that’s unlimited,” he says.

He also said that he was unsure about Clive Berghofer’s motivation to back the “No” vote, and was less than impressed with some of tactics employed by their opposition.

“Clive Berghofer said in the Australian just this morning that he wouldn’t mind if it was any other city - if he hasn’t got a problem with any other city, than I don’t see why he has a problem with Toowoomba,

“And they resort to some dirty tactics, just yesterday they tried to get our “How to Vote” cards banned, the returning officers ruled them legal, because they’re all authorised, and they’re still complaining about it,” he said.

The polls close at 6:00pm.

Toowoomba Referendum

WaterFuture Poll
By Brent Davidson

CITY STILL DIVIDED AS RESIDENTS HEAD TO POLLS

Toowoomba residents are going to the polls this morning to vote on the council’s controversial plan to top up the city’s water supply with recycled effluent.

But residents are still deeply divided on the issue, with strong voices on either side of the debate still trying to win votes at the gates of polling booths.

Secretary of the Toowoomba Green’s Party, Lee Mason was busy handing out “Yes” leaflets at the polling booth at Darling Heights State School.

He says while recycled water is not the answer to Australia’s water crisis; it is one of a number of steps that has to be taken.

“We’ve been in a period of drought; it doesn’t look like it’s going to break, long distance weather forecasters are forecasting that the next hundred years are going to be dryer than this hundred years,

“If we don’t say yes today, the rest of the state will overtake us… we will then get it back [the recycled water] through a pipeline and be much more expensive,” he says.

On the other side of the debate, Colleen, an independent supporter of the “no” vote says that the council’s figure of 25% of the water supply be comprised of the treated effluent, is much too high.

“It’s already been established that they’re having complications in London which is 14%, and the 1% in Singapore, and the customs warn you not to drink the water in Singapore, so it’s a complete controversy,

“For our children’s sake, the pathologists are saying no,” she says.

The polls will remain open until 6:00pm tonight.