■ Strong opposition from local councils in Gippsland and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union over perceptions that the proposal amounts to a theft of the region’s prime water resource to benefit Melbourne.
■ The Government is in dispute with power station owners over the quality of treated effluent. The Government has proposed to treat the water to a lower standard that what the power stations claim to require.
■ Legislation could be introduced forcing the power stations to give up their fresh water.
■ A local Labor MP, Brendan Jenkins, has criticised the Government over how Gippslanders have been consulted.
Source: The Age Online