2/05/06
An independent expert investigation into transporting water from the Kimberley to supplement Perth's supply has proven the idea too costly.
Premier Alan Carpenter today released the 'Options for bringing water to Perth from the Kimberley' report, chaired by Professor Reg Appleyard.
"The report has found that the canal option is high risk, the pipeline option is high cost and the ocean transport options are too expensive for what can be delivered," Mr Carpenter said.
"Under these circumstances, and despite recognising an attraction to the dream, it would be irresponsible for a State Government to expose billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to such extravagant and risky projects.
"Householders would finish up paying exorbitant prices for water and the financial strain on the State budget would be crippling."
At a conservative construction cost of $14.5billion, the dearest and most risk-prone option was the canal. With delivery costs estimated at $6.50 per kilolitre, household water bills would increase four-fold, from $304 to more than $1,200 and there would also be significant environmental and operational issues.
The report found building a pipeline to Perth would cost at least $11.9billion and deliver water at more than three times the current cost at $5.10 per kilolitre. This would result in the average water bill rising by 250 per cent to $1,060.
A fully operational sea tanker transport system would cost $6.2billion and a system of super tankers and tugs towing giant water bags would cost $5.3billion. But even taking the minimalist option, there would be substantial delivery costs ($6.70 per kilolitre), multi-billion dollar operating costs and at least a doubling in household water bills - all for just an additional 50 gigalitres a year. The technology associated with these options was also largely untested and carried huge greenhouse gas emission problems.
"To put all these cost options in perspective, the Kwinana Desalination Plant is being built for just $387million and will deliver 45 gigalitres a year at $1.16 a kilolitre," the Premier said.
"What the panel has effectively found is that if we were to pay for one of these Kimberley options to resolve our water problems, metropolitan water users would be crushed under a water bill radically higher than what they currently pay."
The panel found that to be competitive with other sources available, the cost of transporting water from the Kimberley would have to be slashed by 80 per cent, something it said was unachievable.
It found that the cost, environmental impact and Native Title issues made them all impractical. There were also issues with reliability of supply.
"With the canal for instance, there were concerns about a lack of control points for water quality and contamination, flooding, safety, leakage and evaporation rates and the extra cost of covering the canal," Mr Carpenter said.
"The potential for cyclone damage to the northern part of the canal was also real.
"The canal simply does not stack up when you have to put 400 gigalitres into the northern end to and wait three months for 200 gigalitres to arrive at Perth."
The Premier thanked the panel members - Professor Reg Appleyard, from the University of Western Australia; Dr Beverley Ronalds, CSIRO's chief of Petroleum Resources Division; Professor Ian Lowe, from the School of Science at Griffith University; and Dr Don Blackmore, former chief executive of the Murray Darling Basin Commission.
"This is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on transporting water from the Kimberley, and Reg and his team should be applauded for the professional and comprehensive way in which it was conducted," Mr Carpenter said.
Premier's office: 9222 9475
