Fire-fighting offer fraught with danger

Written by RICHARD JAGO.

WATER Minister, Tim Holding, must have been amazed when a Victorian Government backbencher, Seymour MP Ben Hardman, publicly urged him to ensure the CFA would have access to water from the Sugarloaf pipeline in the event of fires in the regions traversed by the pipeline.

Melbourne Water has since responded that it will look into the possibility of the CFA accessing water from the pipeline, but must know the pressure involved would pose a serious threat to personnel attempting to do so.

This didn’t stop Premier John Brumby last week from offering takeoffs on the pipeline for firefighters.

According to local civil engineer, Rodney Ridd, the more than 600m of head operating pressure of the pipeline does not allow for construction of simple takeoffs - in any case these would have to be in reasonable proximity to the fires to be of any use.

With such a pressure in the pipe and an all-welded construction, the likelihood of leaks is not insignificant, as happened with the Bendigo-Ballarat pipeline, Mr Ridd said.

And the engineer is concerned about electrical power for the enormous pumps needed to push water over the Great Dividing Range.

The present estimate of power needed to do this has grown to 18MW - although the system has not yet been designed - and whether the existing grid can provide this is an open question.

Mr Ridd said the current 66kV system is fully allocated and cited the purchase of power from NSW during the heatwave last January as an indication the grid is already close to capacity.

Politicians everywhere are using the pipeline to further their causes.

The premier came in for some stick from South Australian independent, Nick Xenophon, when he said that government’s $67 million plan to assist irrigators buy much-needed water was inappropriate and would only result in increased water prices.

Mr Xenophon likened the premier’s comment on responsible water use to Osama bin Laden calling for world peace.

Leader of the Nationals, Peter Ryan, said it was economic and environmental madness to construct the north-south pipeline.

"It is apparent to almost everyone a drought that threatens Melbourne’s water storages is likely to be as, or more severe, in the north of the state," Mr Ryan said.

"Premier Brumby and Water Minister, Tim Holding, believe there will be plenty of water in the Goulburn (River), even if Melbourne’s storages are running on empty."

And Fran Bailey (Federal member for McEwen) made the headlines when she passed on local community views that Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, lacked credibility on water management.

As the minister was speaking in Parliament, Ms Bailey raised a point of order, questioning his credibility, and for her trouble was ejected from the house for an hour.