Q & A Games
I read with alarm the latest Hunter Water Tillegra Dam promotion gimmick – three Dorothy Dix questions with carefully tailored responses. How interesting it is to compare these answers with the statements made in an article published in the Newcastle Herald on 26 Feb 2006. The article is titled ‘No need to recycle dam-builder myths‘ and the author is Hunter Water’s current CEO.
Q1. Tillegra Dam is not Hunter Water’s preferred new source option?
Answer (2008). This is not true.
Answer (2006). “Hunter Water has long moved on from being just a dam builder” … “Rather than build new dams we are making better use of existing ones”
Incidently, in the early 1970’s the original recommendation made to Hunter Water by the Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation placed a lower priority on construction of Tillegra Dam than other sites investigated.
Q2. Rain water tanks would solve the water supply needs?
Answer (2008). No.
Answer (2006). “Dr Essery urges water utilities to look beyond the traditional approach of building more dams and to see recycling as the inevitable answer”……. “The best way to capture stormwater is with rainwater tanks”….. “Hunter Water agrees with Dr C Essery that water recycling is an important initiative in sustainable water management”
In other words rainwater tanks are one aspect of sustainable water management.
Q3. Is Hunter Water committed to constructing new roads in areas impacted by the dam?
Answer (2008). Yes.
Answer (2006). At that time Hunter Water did not believe in ‘dam -builder myths’ so roads were not an issue.
However in 2008 if this nonsense goes ahead, Salisbury and Quart Pot Creek roads are not the only roads of concern. What about all the existing roads in the shire which will be trashed? There has not been any response from the ‘fast tracking task forces’, apart from “we are investigating”.
In view of the fact that rate rises have already been announced, perhaps Hunter Water should be conserving rate payers’ money. Stop publishing such patronising deceptive information, disband the Community Reference Group and drop the idea of ‘Forums’ to be held at the local high school. After all it will be a case of preaching to the few converted disciples. If the idea is to attract youth, that will be unlikely. On a cold winter’s evening most young people would prefer to watch a DVD, play a computer game or even do homework! Attending school after hours to listen to doctored statistics and inappropriate case studies is hardly the ‘cool’ thing to do!
Originally published in the Dungog Chronicle 25/6/08