In "North-south pipeline figures all at sea" in the Melbourne Age of 21 Jun 09, Melissa Fyfe reported:

"The basic assumptions used to predict the amount of water to be delivered to Melbourne from the north-south pipeline have 'now proven to be wrong', Victoria's top water adviser has admitted."

This further confirms what the group Plug the Pipe, a group representing Goulburn Valley farmers, whose water the north-south pipeline is intended to steal, have argued all along. Here is their response.

Victorian Government's own Office of Water exposes "The Great Brumby Pipeline Lie"

Our View:

From the very beginning, Plug the Pipe has always maintained the 'irrigation savings don't exist' to supply 75 billion litres of water to Melbourne through the North South Pipeline. DSE's acknowledgement of this fact under present conditions in yesterdays AGE article by Melissa Fyfe simply confirms The Great Brumby Pipeline Lie. Also in that article, DSE claimed that conditions have only recently changed which is blatantly false and is a thinly veiled attempt to cover up the enormity of their deception or blunder. The water lost from the irrigation districts has not significantly changed since the announcement of the project. Equally offensive is DSE's defence in blaming the errors in water saving calculations on junior staff, a cowardly statement of low credibility considering the magnitude and complexity of the multi-billion dollar water plan.

The Brumby Government has acted with either unfathomable incompetence or with extreme dishonesty ...

The Brumby Government has acted with either unfathomable incompetence or with extreme dishonesty by its unwavering line that irrigation water savings will be achieved to supply 'new water' for Melbourne, the Murray Darling Basin crisis and Victoria's drought affected food producers.

The North South Pipeline was painted as the saviour through the Premiers 'New Water' for all but has turn out to be just a cruel deceptive trick that even the originally misguided can now see through.

The question remains, how many lies and blunders can a Government make on water before it damages their credibility and electability?

The North South Pipeline will be a major election issue in the minds of the average Victorian as they head to the polls next year. They will be thinking the promise of water nirvana and the reality of water hell as the pay more for water they did not receive from a dry pipe. Farmers and environmentalists will be thinking the same thing and we will be there to remind them all not to forget.

Jan Beer

0407 144777

www.plugthepipe.com