Another example of Labor projects not deliverying value

[Super Nova]

Here is another example of Labor screwing up. This time in Victoria.

I blooody disgrace that future governments are screwed by poor contracts signed by labor governments.

"Baillieu 'powerless' over $24 billion desal bill "

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/baill ... 1bbc5.html

The Wonthaggi desalination plant could drain an estimated $24 billion from Victoria’s finances over the next three decades but Premier Ted Baillieu says he can’t do anything about it.

After a PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis of the state’s contract with AquaSure signed by the previous Labor government, Mr Baillieu announced on Friday the coalition had concluded no savings could be found.

‘‘It is now the government’s view that there are no feasible material savings available to the government in dealing with that contract,’’ he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

Advertisement: Story continues below ‘‘As a consequence, the contract is in place as it is.’’

Mr Baillieu said the analysis revealed the nominal cost of the desalination plant over the next three decades could be as high as $23.9 billion.

The annual payment for the desalination plant - even if no water is ordered - would be $654 million in 2012/13, he said.

If the full 150 gigalitres of water is provided in that year then the cost to Victorians would be about $763 million.

‘‘This is an extraordinarily expensive desalination plant providing water to Melburnians at great cost,’’ Mr Baillieu said.

Water from the plant would cost $13.58 per kilolitre (1000 litres) if the minimum 50 gigalitres (50 billion litres) was drawn in 2012/13.If the maximum of 150 gigalitres of water was ordered it would cost Melbourne Water customers around $5.09 a kilolitre.

Melbourne Water currently charges about $1.50 a kilolitre, Mr Baillieu said.

The premier said the government would not break the AquaSure contract because it raised the issue of sovereign risk and would cost the state several billion dollars up front in legal fees.

‘‘We are not about to lightly enter the world of breaking contracts,’’ he said.

‘‘If ... any state government or indeed the commonwealth developed a habit of breaching a contract that was signed then the sovereign risk is such that no one would seek to enter a contract with the state in the future without factoring in enormous premiums.’’

The nominal cost of the desalination plant was put as $18 billion by Auditor General Des Pearson last October.

The plant is due to begin operation in 2012/13.

[mantra]

While Baillieu's whinging about this de-salination commitment - he's proposing to reintroduce cattle into Victoria's national parks. Neither Labor nor Liberal give a stuff about conservation or cost.

Alps already damaged by grazing - Burke

There has already been much damage caused six weeks into a cattle grazing trial in Victoria's high country, the federal government says.

Canberra wants the Victorian government to scrap the trial but Premier Ted Baillieu has vowed to push ahead.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said he found extensive damage to the state's Alpine National Park during a tour on Friday.
Advertisement: Story continues below

He said he was still investigating whether the Victorian government had broken federal law when it reintroduced 400 cattle to the park six weeks ago.

But he said the move breached an environmental principle.

"Using a national park as a farm is wrong, simple as that," he told reporters on-site at the park.

"You can see already in just a few weeks the damage that's being done.

"There's a separate question as to whether or not it breaches federal law. That's something I need to take further advice on from the department - as to whether federal law is breached."

The state government is trialling cattle grazing as a tool for bushfire fuel reduction in the high country.

Four hundred cows were introduced to six sites across the park.

Mr Burke said the Victorian government was yet to provide any information to the federal Environment Department which supported the scientific merit of the trial.

"My department has been asking for information about this so-called scientific grazing for some time.

"The information that's come to us so far hasn't shown any evidence that they even did a base-line study as to what the situation was before the cattle were introduced."

Mr Baillieu said he was confident the grazing was not damaging the national park.

"Our mission is to reduce the fuel load in bushfire prone areas and strategic grazing has been used before and we want to have that capacity available to us in the future and this project will proceed with that in mind," he told reporters on Friday.

The Mountain Cattlemens Association president Mark Coleman questioned the value of Mr Burke's day-trip to the national park.

"What we've seen in past is people coming up for five minutes," he said.

"You've got to see the environment over a long period of time to make a judgment."

Melbourne Greens MP Adam Bandt plans to introduce a bill to ban alpine grazing to federal parliament next week.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-na ... ..

[mellie]

While Baillieu's whinging about this de-salination commitment - he's proposing to reintroduce cattle into Victoria's national parks. Neither Labor nor Liberal give a stuff about conservation or cost.

Alps already damaged by grazing - Burke

There has already been much damage caused six weeks into a cattle grazing trial in Victoria's high country, the federal government says.

Canberra wants the Victorian government to scrap the trial but Premier Ted Baillieu has vowed to push ahead.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said he found extensive damage to the state's Alpine National Park during a tour on Friday.
Advertisement: Story continues below

He said he was still investigating whether the Victorian government had broken federal law when it reintroduced 400 cattle to the park six weeks ago.

But he said the move breached an environmental principle.

"Using a national park as a farm is wrong, simple as that," he told reporters on-site at the park.

"You can see already in just a few weeks the damage that's being done.

"There's a separate question as to whether or not it breaches federal law. That's something I need to take further advice on from the department - as to whether federal law is breached."

The state government is trialling cattle grazing as a tool for bushfire fuel reduction in the high country.

Four hundred cows were introduced to six sites across the park.

Mr Burke said the Victorian government was yet to provide any information to the federal Environment Department which supported the scientific merit of the trial.

"My department has been asking for information about this so-called scientific grazing for some time.

"The information that's come to us so far hasn't shown any evidence that they even did a base-line study as to what the situation was before the cattle were introduced."

Mr Baillieu said he was confident the grazing was not damaging the national park.

"Our mission is to reduce the fuel load in bushfire prone areas and strategic grazing has been used before and we want to have that capacity available to us in the future and this project will proceed with that in mind," he told reporters on Friday.

The Mountain Cattlemens Association president Mark Coleman questioned the value of Mr Burke's day-trip to the national park.

"What we've seen in past is people coming up for five minutes," he said.

"You've got to see the environment over a long period of time to make a judgment."

Melbourne Greens MP Adam Bandt plans to introduce a bill to ban alpine grazing to federal parliament next week.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-na ... ..

Farmers cattle were grazing the highlands in eastern Victoria well before Bob Brown pissed on a tree and declared it a national park.

Alternatively, we could endure another Black Saturday?

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/ ... 151340.htm


A history of Victoria's national parks, and the making there of.

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/education ... n12229.pdf