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Showing posts with label Desalination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desalination. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Greedy Aquasure uses its French connection, Suez, to have its govt pressure Victoria's govt - Mais non
ACTION – NO BAILOUT FOR WATER MULTI-NATIONALS
The French government, via its ambassador, is pressuring the Baillieu government to pay Aquasure millions of dollars in ‘compensation.’ AquaSure is claiming in excess of $1 billion due to ‘extraordinary climatic problems’ including ‘cyclones and typhoons, an earthquake, record rainfall and problems with wombats (!)’ The Age, 6/7)
Watershed stands firm that
AquaSure should not receive a cent of government money.
Watershed also reminds Victorians they are, in fact, owed $1.8 million a day in penalty payments as of July 1 for water not delivered as promised by June 30. Just one day's worth of penalties would pay for 25 years of monitoring of the desal plants impact on the environment but AquaSure won't even discuss it.
JOIN OTHER WATERSHED SUPPORTERS to say :
“Mais non” to French water multinationals.
When: Wednesday July 11 at 11 am
Where: French Consulate, 342A St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
Contact: Jessica Harrison, Watershed Victoria 0407 307 231
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Sunday, 17 April 2011
#Watershed_Vivctoria : #Wonthaggi #Desalination Plant : #PublicPrivatePartnerships
Tweet
I am always in awe of Watershed Victoria. The Wonthaggi desalination plant is on its way and the ink has long since dried on the contracts. But they have never given up. Please find their latest newletter/bulletin below.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Lies and Spies: Aquasure and Thiess are outed on breaches of ethics and civil liberties
Networkers, I am not going to muck around. I am going to call the situation as it is. Thiess Pty Ltd lies. The truth is not in it. In this post a week or so ago, I drew attention to the hypocrisy of Thiess Pty Ltd being given an award by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency when its parent/holding company Leighton's is certainly not a believer in or practitioner of equal opportunity for women.
Below is a portion of the privacy policy taken from Thiess's website on Friday 19 November 2010.
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Thiess Privacy Policy
Thiess Pty Ltd (Thiess) is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals. To deliver our commitment to privacy, we will comply with legislations and regulations of the countries in which we operate.
As an Australian registered company, Thiess is bound by the Privacy Act as amended by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Act) and the National Privacy Principles contained within that Act. All employees and officers of Thiess are expected to comply with the Act and this Privacy Statement.
Information or opinions which are collected, held, used or disclosed by Thiess about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, will be protected by the standards outlined in this Statement.
To deliver our commitment to privacy, we will:
- Be bound by, and comply with, the National Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 in relation to personal information
- Communicate this Privacy Statement to all employees and stakeholders to ensure awareness of their requirement to comply with our privacy standards and to anyone else who asks for it
- Ensure lawful, fair and unobtrusive means are used to only collect personal information that is necessary for our business purposes
- Collect sensitive information only with the individual's consentnot disclose any personal information to an unrelated third party, except with the individual's consent or where we are required to do so by law
- Take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify personal information in a secure manner when we have no further need for it or are required to do so by law
- Ensure only authorised personnel who have agreed to keep personal information confidential have access to the information
- Take reasonable steps to keep personal information up to date, accurate and complete
- In most cases provide individuals access to their personal information on request, and
- Periodically review and revise this Privacy Statement and related procedures to maintain their relevance.
Thiess recognises and respects the importance of each individual's privacy. This Statement and related procedures ensure all personal information held by Thiess is handled appropriately and kept confidential.
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Because of Thiess's privacy policy, I am now accusing them of lying because Thiess have been caught out spying on employees working on the construction of the Wonthaggi desalination plant.
Not only have Thiess been spying on their employees, they have been spying on members of Watershed Victoria who have been campaigning against the desal plant. This latter allegation was made this morning on ABC Radio by Neil Rankin who is Secretary of Watershed Victoria and the Greens candidate in the seat of Bass. I hold Neil Rankin in high regard and I have no reason to doubt him when he speaks of people in Thiess marked vehicles parking outside the homes of members involved in the desal campaign and openly spying on them.
All this follows on from the Memorandum of Understanding between Victoria Police, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Aquasure against whom Watershed Victoria are considering legal recourse. Only last month it was revealed that Aquasure's signature of the desalination plant contract was contingent upon agreement through an MOU to provide the consortium with documentary bases with regard to "civil disruption" in relation to the construction of the plant.
One must recall that the major player in Aquasure is Suez - which is now subsumed in Suez Environnement - and, in the Wonthaggi desalination construction and operation, is operating through its subsidiary Degremont. Suez, since its inception in Napoleonic times, could never be held up as a paragon of civil liberties virtue. Read Maude Barlow's description of the activities of Suez in Bolivia. The people of Bolivia kicked Suez out of their country.
Perhaps it is time for Australians to decide that they don't want Suez either - and then proceed to reign in Australian corporations who think they can become laws unto themselves and breach the civil liberties and human rights of Australians. Leighton's - through their ownership of Thiess and John Holland - are sharks in a small Australian fishpond. My guess is that there is little in the way of major construction in Australia which does not have Leighton's involvement. Such dominance is the surest way to give corporations a sense of invincibility. Then there is their influence within the halls of power, finance, and politics. BTW, the banker for Aquasure is Macquarie Capital Group. And, of course, the Macquarie ethos and ethic has come into question on a number of fronts in recent years.
It is clear that the Brumby Labor Government has indulged in a highly unAustralian act in breach of Victoria's Charter of Rights and Responsibilities. The BLG has sold Australians out. It has allowed the dobbing in of its fellow Australians to a foreign organisation. Australians, generally, don't take kindly to dobbers.
And, while I haven't checked with any precision, I suspect that what Thiess has done is worthy of reference to the International Labour OrganizationILO's constitution reads:
Preamble
Whereas universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice;
And whereas conditions of labour exist involving such injustice, hardship and privation to large numbers of people as to produce unrest so great that the peace and harmony of the world are imperilled; and an improvement of those conditions is urgently required; as, for example, by the regulation of the hours of work, including the establishment of a maximum working day and week, the regulation of the labour supply, the prevention of unemployment, the provision of an adequate living wage, the protection of the worker against sickness, disease and injury arising out of his employment, the protection of children, young persons and women, provision for old age and injury, protection of the interests of workers when employed in countries other than their own, recognition of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value, recognition of the principle of freedom of association, the organisation of vocational and technical education and other measures;
Whereas also the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labour is an obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries
In addition, it is arguable that both Aquasure with its Memorandum of Understanding and Thiess through its surveillance and spying actions, are in breach of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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To update the quote from my blogging confreres over at Blogotariat:
Yes folks, this is really happening in Australia.
Further reading:
Industry watchdog to investigate claims of spying at desal plant
Spying operation at desal project is a breach of workers' rights and betrayal of trust (ACTU)
Builder confirms spies worked at desal plant
Desalination project in limbo over spying allegations
Unionists 'forced desal hirings'
Desal dispute resolved
Spying operation at desal project is a breach of workers' rights and betrayal of trust (ACTU)
Builder confirms spies worked at desal plant
Desalination project in limbo over spying allegations
Unionists 'forced desal hirings'
Desal dispute resolved
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Jan Beer contests seat of Seymour as an Independent: community engagement & transparency major issues
Jan on the campaign frontline at Glenburn last year.
Miss Eagle supports Jan's candidacy because of the Brumby Government's poor track record on community engagement and transparency. Jan Beer's candidacy supports these basic democratic rights and procedures. The Brumby Government has no whole of government policy on professional and modern community engagement. Where, within the bureaucracy, there is a belief that community engagement is practised the record ranges from poor through to awful and, at times, absolutely disgraceful.
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I refuse to stand by and watch the erosion of our democratic rights where the basic right to peacefully protest results in people being arrested, and where individuals are spied upon by their own Government. My State has become veiled in a cloak of secrecy in which a detached Government answers every question and every criticism with spin and vindictive action.
So many major projects in Victoria have been fast-tracked with sham consultation, secrecy, refusal to disclose business cases or failure to follow mandatory business case guidelines.
Examples of these are the North-South Pipeline, Regional Rail Link, Desalination Project, Wallan-Kilmore Bypass, Black Forest Drive narrowing project, destruction of the historic Toorourrung Reservoir Spillway and, of course, the WIndsor Hotel debacle. The list of mishandled projects is almost endless.
As a Yea farmer and small business owner in Seymour with my husband Neil, I have the experience and insight to understand the needs and issues of my rural-urban electorate. This life experience, I believe, would put me in good stead to represent the Seymour Electorate.
I am also standing as an independent candidate so I do not have to toe the “party political line”and can advocate for and represent rural Victorians without fear or favour – a task, if honoured by the Seymour Electorate, I would revel in.
Jan Beer Contact Number 0407 144 777
Relevant links: Jan Beer in pipe legal fight
The 7.30 Report – ABC – Victoria’s north-south pipeline under scrutiny
The Age – Pipeline critic spied on, tailed
Written and authorised by Jan Beer, 486 Limestone Rd., Yea 3717
Further reading:
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Report from the Front: Mildura, Brumby, Solar energy, Passenger rail, Pipelines, Protesters
Maria Reidl at the Brumby protest in Mildura yesterday
To watch the Channel 9 news item on the protest, please go here.
Yesterday, the Labor Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, visited Mildura. An election is in the air, you see. November 24 2010, to be precise. The seat of Mildura is not a traditional Labor seat. In eighty years, the ALP has held the seat for seven although an Independent did hold the seat from 1996-2006 and did support Labor under Steve Bracks when there was a hung parliament.
After the events surrounding the 2010 Federal election and The Greens' Adam Bandt defeating Labor in the seat of Melbourne to win the first Greens House of Representatives seat, there clearly will be some slight interest (that's sarcasm, Networkers) in highlighting environmental credentials by the major political parties. So it was that, after much controversy about a solar energy plant for Victoria and particularly Mildura, Mr Brumby came to town to announce the good news that a major solar energy plant will be built near Mildura.
As a background to the topic of solar energy, Networkers, attention must be drawn to Australia's tardiness - in spite of its plenitude, across the continent, of sunshine - in implementing the renewable energy of solar power. To rub salt into the wounds, one of the world's richest men is Shi Zhengrong of Suntech Power, and he gained his extensive education in solar energy at the University of New South Wales. Admittedly, China is a larger marketplace than the Land of Oz - but let's admit it. Australians - well, let's be more precise, their political and business leadership - are slack and not leaders of the pack. Innovation has no trouble finding itself in this country but struggles to get off the ground because of the faithlessness of governments and business.
But back to the good folk of Mildura. There were not many of them turned up to greet John Brumby. Apparently, his visit was not well publicised to the locals. I can understand that. The Brumby Government is not into community engagement. But it is into media events. Nevertheless, there were a few locals there to annoy Brumby with their pleas on local issues: restoration of the rail service to Mildura (download report embedded below on this subject) cut by the Liberal Kennett Government in 1993 (an excellent reason to elect an Independent at the next election in 1996) and the North-South pipeline, and I think the burdensome cost of desal rated a mention as well.
Among those who turned up to give John Brumby a 'warm' welcome was that indefatigible Water Warrior and academic researcher, Maria Reidl - with her trademark hat as you can see from the picture above. Maria has reported from the Brumby in Mildura Front as follows:
We had desal, pipeline, train signs. We had ½ hour notice as he was planning to sneak into town and just have media circus. It is all about the election as the $100mil he promised if great but what about his promised passenger train and no pipeline and yet another coal-fired power station. Sneaking didn’t work. I find him quite arrogant and unwilling to ask and seek advice from the community. And is happy to keep making promises that I do not believe he will keep as his ONLY intention is to be elected premier-as he has never been elected!
Cheers
Maria
Keep up the good work, Maria!
BTW, there is another hurdle for the solar plant. It has to get Federal funding!
BTW, there is another hurdle for the solar plant. It has to get Federal funding!
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Aquasure & Thiess Degremont want to connect with the community...what a surprise!
Aquasure & Thiess Degremont have issued an invitation
through Watershed Victoria
to attend a community information session at the
Victorian Desalination Project Community Information Centre
at 33-35 Murray Street, Wonthaggi,
to be held
Saturday 4th September from 9am – 1pm.
New information, including information on the marine components of the project,
will be on display
and senior members of the project team will be available to assist with questions.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Trouble at mill, it seems - the Wonthaggi Water Desalination mill
The wisdom and knowledge (or lack of both?) behind the Brumby Governmen'ts management of water resources is in question once again. My own view is that Brumby and his mob fell for the great desal sell. The government is still a boys club in the main and boys like techy toys. What better techy toy than the fifth biggest desalination plant in the world? And for signing up I am sure we will find there are post-politics benefits for the major political and bureaucratic players? After all, if the Brumby government can put a representative of a major water industry player on to a State Government water authority i.e. Coliban Water, things can always work the other way around, don't you think?
Trouble is Brumby and the mob can't tell good advice when they see it. They are blinkered to polls and trying to obtain the least level of reaction among the voters. Certainly they did not want to listen to the bright sparks of Watershed Victoria, the Basscoast Boardriders Club, and Clean Ocean Foundation. And they didn't even want to take notice of their very own environmental information.
Alas, poor taxpayers?
That drink of water will cost you more -
when it need not!
Friday, 25 September 2009
My mates in Watershed Victoria, many of whom are colleagues in the Australian Water Network, do not give up easily.
Watershed Victoria Still Campaigning on the Desal Disaster
In recent weeks Watershed Victoria and supporters have raised the major financial backing of the desal plant in Wonthaggi by Westpac and the National Australia Bank.Both banks have signed on to the "Equator Principles", a comprehensive statement of responsibility to invest only in projects that have no damaging environmental and social consequences.
In the last 2 weeks we have leafletted Westpac and NAB branches in Melbourne, with good responses from bank customers.
We would love people to keep the pressure up, asking for an explanation of the banks' financial involvement and a comprehensive environmental impact study by the banks BEFORE financially backing the energy guzzling desal plant. It's a mistake both in terms of local environmental impact and climate change.
The banks have promised to meet us to discuss our concerns, but nothing has happened so far.
On the bright side, we have had many whale sightings on the coast this winter, including a Southern Right mother and calf last week.
Ring NAB Corporate Responsibility Officer on 03-86342734 or Westpac 132032 and ask for the Corporate Responsibility Officer. More details and form letters are on our website under the "writing letters" section.
We are meeting at 11am on Thursday 1st October
at Flinders St Station
for more leafletting of Westpac and NAB.
More info Neil 0143 902571.
All welcome.
WATER NOT SHORT, JUST SHORT SIGHTED
Water in Australia is every Australian’s issue.
It is definitely not a global issue,
except in accepting our part in addressing
global warming and climate change.
We have all the tools here in Australia
to resolve our own water problems.
We have the inventors and the knowledge, the experts, the decision makers and the project managers, the workers and the water consumers.
All we have to do – and it seems to be such an unnecessarily big call - is to support all these attributes with strategies and policies which cater adequately for rapidly changing water availability.
Melbourne for example has one and a third years supply of water in its storages today, which demonstrates the lack of real action by governments to address the crisis which has been apparent for 10 years.
CORPORATIZING WATER DOESN’T MAKE MORE
The one thing that absolutely sabotages ongoing water availability for all Australians is the McCarthiest approach to water.
Dan McCarthy writes that ‘Protectionist US could break water flow’ (The Age Opinion 23/09/09)
Mr McCarthy is the chief executive of a global water business, Black & Veatch. It is well worth delving into the intense book ‘Blue Covenant’ written by Maude Barlow, senior water advisor to the UN.
Maude Barlow documents just how insidious and depraved are the efforts of lobbyists and economic McCarthiests throughout the World. The very corporations that are setting up in Australia comprise board members and CEO’s of corporations that have been thrown out of other countries for breaking promises on the quality, costs, and delivery of water.
The Age article by McCarthy contains the line that no country can solve these (water) issues alone. What baloney! McCarthy’s interest is solely to make money out of water and water infrastructure, and to monopolize as much of that as he can.
What McCarthy is on about is not making water available to everyone; rather it is about profiteering from privatisation of water and water infrastructure.
South Australia has fallen for the privatised water system ploy and is already suffering the consequences. Victoria is beginning to fall for it, with the PPP - Public Private Partnerships – such as the North-South Sugarloaf pipeline and the mammoth, (biggest in the World, of course), Desalination plant designated for Kilcunda in Gippsland.
WATER WASTE, OUT OF DATE
Australians living in urban areas, exemplified by Melbourne, Geelong, Shepparton, Albury Wodonga and Ballarat and even the arid Bendigo, universally have a water based effluent system which requires vast quantities of water to keep on flushing the solids and to dilute the industrial and domestic poisons we put down the sewerage systems. This was designed for places and times of over abundant water.
The operating success of those current systems is dependent on continual large quantities of water, and in sheer defiance of logic during this long period of growing drought and climate change, we use drinking quality water for this purpose.
It is not rocket science to conceive and develop a new system, which eliminates many solids, salts and toxic effluents at the entry end of the system, or to control what goes in before it enters the system.
Many industries which use a lot of water (industry uses about 120 billion litres per year - one third of the total Melbourne water consumed) can be required to stop shoving salts and other chemicals down the sewer, with the likely result that their profits will rise through greater efficiencies.
…AND ON WATER DELIVERY
On the water storage and delivery side of water supply, it is not beyond us to split the water delivery system so that the truly critical human requirements of say 20 litres of potable water per day are delivered to each household (after all, we used to delivery milk this way. The challenge is to see that the McCarthiests don’t hold their monopoly on that).
Sensibly, and to keep the drinking water and its distribution system ownership in public hands, a second system of small pipes can be added to the system for strictly potable use.
The precedent is already set; new urban developments are having purple striped pipe installed to carry second grade water for parks, and for gardens. The potable small quantity delivery system can lead to the third kitchen tap.
The enormous quantity of less potable water for general use can be delivered from the existing poorer quality storages and from underground. To enable sustainable use without dropping the groundwater levels unsustainably, storm water is directed underground and filtered in the process.
McCarthy and his cronies offer no solution to the water problem; they offer; in fact demand only more water abuse, so that they can get paid premium prices for their services, using our water.
When we recognise that environmental sustainability, water as a prime example, underpins our lives and our ability to live in this wonderful dry continent for which we are stewards, we see that economic development cannot be sustainable unless we ensure that environmental sustainability comes first.
Edwin Adamson
DipAg MEnvSc
Landscape for Life
Merrijig Vic 3723
0428 775 758
Edwin Adamson is an environment, planning consultant and ecologist.
Monday, 10 August 2009
Cry me a River Journery - Update 2: Steve arrives at Killingworth to-morrow afternoon.
This is my friend Steve Posselt.
Please go to Steve’s website
You will be able to see what Steve has done,
you will be able to buy the book of his first Murray journey, Cry Me a River.
Check out what he is doing now –
his second journey on the Murray and
he is currently on the Goulburn and
later this week will journey into Melbourne via the Yarra River –
to a very warm welcome we hope.
STEVE’S ITINERARY FOR THE REST THIS WEEK
PLEASE SUPPORT HIM
PARTICULARLY ON HIS ARRIVAL IN MELBOURNE.
Steve is supported by
Tuesday 11 August
Arrive Killingworth 4.00pm N-S Pipeline pump site.
Wednesday 12 August
Depart Killingworth 10.00am 9-10AM
Boats in river accompany Steve 200 metres upstream to gravel banks.
Supporters on Goulburn River bank with placards, banners.
Media Event
Thursday 13 August
Arrive Yarra Glen 5.00pm
Friday 14 August
40km down Yarra.
Put canoe in river at Vasey bridge.
Supporters to farewell-banners & placards
Saturday 15 August
40km down Yarra
Sunday 16 August
15km into Melbourne arriving 1.00pm
Arrive to supporters on bank, accompanied by other canoes.
Media Event
Steve was interviewed by Red Symons at 6.15am on ABC's Local Radio 774 Melbourne this morning. It was great stuff, Steve. I'd put a link on here to a podcast but I can't find one.
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