Victoria's desalination plant finally delivers as Government places order for more water
Updated
Water has begun flowing from Victoria's desalination plant, more than four years after it was completed, as the State Government moves to reassure Victorians that water bills will not go up as the result of a new regular water order.
The first 50 gigalitres of desalinated water began flowing into the Cardinia Reservoir overnight, and the Government said it would order another 15 gigalitres a year for the next three years.
Water Minister Lisa Neville said the cost of the regular order would be completely offset by efficiencies found in the plant operator's water contract.
"In that three-year period for either this 50 gigalitre or for that minimum water order over the next three years there will be no additional cost to people's water bills for that water order," she said.
The plant was finished in December 2012 but has sat idle since.
Earlier this month, an electrical fault at the plant forced the operator to install 30 diesel generators the size of shipping containers as an emergency back-up power supply.
Desalinated water to 'avoid crisis'
With the state's water storages at about two-thirds full, Opposition spokesman for water Peter Walsh said the order for water was not necessary.
"It's absolutely ridiculous to say that having a permanent desal order will not cost Melbourne Water customers money, it will cost them money every single year," he said.
"If the Minister's saying that could come from savings from the contract, those savings actually should be handed back to customers."
But Ms Neville said the plant was not just for emergencies.
"We do need to move past this concept that the desal is for a crisis only. It's there to avoid a crisis, so a minimum order makes sure that we do that," she said.
"It also stops a major fluctuation in water pricing for customers, so you [order] 50 gigs or 100 gigs and all of a sudden that one year you water price goes up substantially on your household bill. This stops that … because smaller orders are cheaper for customers."
Topics: water-supply, water-management, water, environment, state-parliament, wonthaggi-3995, vic, melbourne-3000
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