Gens don’t want the water: There are some problems with that, of course, which the government acknowledges. Where is the business case for this idea? Where are the financials in relation to this? Where is the commercial reality that is supposed to underpin all of this? How is it supposed to be paid for? How is it supposed to work? Apart from anything else, the government has a problem because the generators do not want the water. The generators are presently being supplied with water and are perfectly happy with the existing arrangements. The generators do not want this mickey mouse idea on behalf of the government because they are very concerned that if they do this it may well damage the equipment which is essential to the generation of power in Victoria. They are very worried about it.
‘Mickey Mouse’ idea: Apart from anything else, 60 per cent of Melbourne’s water is presently supplied from Gippsland. Those great Gippslanders, who forever come to this Parliament and are part of it, those Gippslanders – young and old – who come to the Parliament of Victoria. Yesterday when I put a question to the Premier about the actual cost of energy being used for these Mickey Mouse schemes the government is contemplating, he had no idea. We know – Powercor tells us – that to pump the water from Shepparton across to Bendigo, which is the shortest of these propositions, is going to take more energy than is consumed by all the residents.
Reference: Parliament of Victoria, Legislative Assembly Daily Hansard, Wednesday, 23 May 2007. p.18
Erisk Net, 23/5/2007