EcoRadio

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  • NSW resists rainwater tanks

    The Iemma Govt is refusing to "Splash out on Water Tank Sudsidies" preferring instead to pursue the Desalination Option which would cost in excess of 1 Billion Dollars against a Water Tank , recycling and reduction on water pressure as is being done in Brisbane which would be a fraction of the Desalination Cost.
     
     Further DAVID CAMPBELL is stating that a Desalination plant would be be run on 100 % Renewable Energy. Another report  states that is doubtful that sufficent Renewable Energy is available for this purpose.
     
     Enquiries I have made of C/info List Members shows that most areas of the North Coast are already ol Levels 4 or 5 Water Restrictions. Does the Govt. intend to deasalinate the whole North Coastline in order to sustain the latest proposals for a population explosion.
     
    The infrastructure for these areas is not there now , what will happen in the future is in the lap of the Gods.
     
    Some councils on the North Coast are giving Water Tank Rebates as a local initiative. No support from the Govt. on the far North Coast.
     
    This with other issues should do the Iemma Govt. a lot of harm at the Ballot Box in March.

  • NSW Govt eyes permanent desalination fix

    NSW Water Minister David Campbell says there is enough renewable electricity to run the proposed desalination plant at Kurnell in Sydney’s south.

    Dam levels in Sydney have dropped to 35 per cent and construction of the desalination plant is scheduled to start if levels drop further to 30 per cent.

    The trigger point could be reached within eight weeks.

    The desalination plant is predicted to use around 225,000 megawatt hours of green energy and Mr Campbell says that will not put a strain on the national grid.

    However the Opposition’s water spokesman, Andrew Stoner, says the plant is bad news for Sydney.

    "Due to Labor’s failure to plan for Sydney’s water supply needs, dam levels [are] at a record low of 35 per cent and that means we are just weeks away from an energy guzzling desal plant for Sydney," he said.

    Meanwhile Greens MP Ian Cohen says level four water restrictions would ban external watering for domestic use and limit water use for some businesses and government agencies.

    "We’ve got a Government that’s not prepared to put higher water restrictions on because there is an election coming," he said.

    "[The Government] wants to pop a desalination plant to just magically solve the problem a few days out from the election – it is really a porous argument you might say."

    © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

  • Recycled water required for new homes

    Burden of choice removed: Water authorities have been given the power to require developments to install "dual-pipe" systems to deliver non-drinking water for domestic uses such as car-washing, toilets and gardens. Builders and planners say mandatory regulations are unnecessary because the private sector has been installing the systems in response to growing demand from home buyers.

    Call for tough rules on public building: The Development Institute of Australia’s Victorian chief executive, Tony De Domenico, called on the government to mandate equally tough water conservation measures for all public-sector projects, such as schools and public housing. He said lower stamp duty should be offered for homes with water-saving systems.

    First-year savings of 4 billion litres: Recycled, or grey, water for housing estates in Melbourne’s south-east will come from the Eastern Irrigation Scheme, a recycling project, and be delivered through purple pipes and hoses fitted in homes. The government estimates the first connections will save 4 billion litres of water a year.

    The Australian Financial Review, 16/1/2007, p.3

  • Firepower player has shady past

    Former Regal Petroleum chief: Nolte is the chief executive of the European division of Firepower, a fuel technology company from Perth which has emerged as a major Australian sports sponsor. He joined Firepower after resigning as CEO of Regal Petroleum.

    Jumped from sinking ship: Regal was briefly one of the most valuable stocks on London’s Alternative Investment market after it reported a huge oil discovery off the coast of Greece. But its share price collapsed in mid-2005 after the oil well was found to be non-commercial.

    Halliburton’s man in Germany: Nolte, who resigned several months before the stock collapse, is also a former head of Halliburton in Germany – the oil company associated with the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney.

    Rabbitohs, Sydney Kings sponsor: Firepower’s investors reportedly include high-profile AFL footballers. It burst onto the Australian sporting scene in November as the sponsor of the south Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team and the Sydney Kings basketball team.

    Celebrity endorsement: The West Australian reported at the weekend that the former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh would help sell Firepower’s products in India, as would five unnamed members of the Australian Wallabies. A spokesman for Firepower was unable to confirm that report but he did confirm Nolte’s position with the company.

    Austrade export grants: The Sydney Morning Herald revealed last week that Firepower had received nearly $400,000 in export grants through Austrade. Austrade also helped to get one of Firepower’s products, a machine that cleans fuel systems, manufactured in Romania under a complicated arrangement with the British arms dealer BAE Systems.

    Romanian govt manufacturer: The machines were made by RomArm, the weapons branch of the Romanian Government.

    The Australian Financial Review, 16/1/2007, p.5

  • 29MW wind farm proposed for Victoria

    Main components: The primary (permanent) components of the proposed Newfield wind farm are:

    # A total of fifteen (15), 1.5 MW turbines with hub heights of 69 m located along the ridgeline on the subject land;

    # An electrical substation located adjacent to the Waarre Road frontage next to the existing electrical line that runs to the adjacent Otway and TRU Energy Gas Plant and Storage facilities;

    # A control room, compound area and switchyard located within the substation area;

    # An internal network of access tracks linking each turbine, and access tracks from Waarre Road and another access track via Collins Road;

    # A series of underground electrical cables located in trenches alongside the access tracks, linking the electrical output of each turbine to the substation; and

    # A permanent wind monitoring mast of about 70m high located on the ridgeline.

    Management by manufacturers: AEO expects to reach a Warranty, Operation and Management agreement with the turbine manufacturers. Under this agreement, the manufacturer would agree to operate, manage and maintain the wind farm for the period of the warranty on the wind farm.

    AEO to assume responsibility: Once the warranty expires, AEO would assume these responsibilities. But AEO would be confined to managing the day to day operation of the wind farm.

    Control building: Ongoing maintenance of the wind farm would be undertaken on site. The control building will contain 12 kV switchgear, control, protection and communications equipment with associated battery power supplies and cabling.

    Turbine monitoring: It will also house a centralised SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. The SCADA system enables the monitoring and control of all wind turbines in the wind farm and the substation equipment.

    Pre-empting Campbell: There is a 1979 record of the Orange-bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster from the coastline west of Port Campbell. It is considered unlikely that this species would occur within the study area.

    A coastal bird: Due to the inland nature of the site and the lack of preferred coastal habitat, it is also considered unlikely that Orange-bellied Parrot would fly through the wind farm site.

    Reference: Acciona Energy Oceania Pty Ltd/Energy generation and supply (renewable)/Newfield/VIC/Newfield wind farm. Reference No: 2007/3226. Proponent: Acciona Energy Oceania Pty Ltd, Level 3, 49-51 Stead Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia. Telephone: (03) 9696 6500, Fax: (03) 9696 6555, Email: jgaschignard@accionaenergy.com.au. Contact: Julien Gaschignard.

    Erisk Net, 15/1/2007

  • Electricity demand peaks

    Electricity demand over summer, passed winter demand for the first time in Australian history this summer. For full details see NEMMCO