Save Snowy

As a landowner near Cooma and a resident in the ACT I am against the sale of SnowyHydro.

The reasons below being some of them.

Canberra has needed water from the Snowy scheme in the past and may need it again.
http://www.actew.com.au/futurewateroptions/tantangaraBG.aspx

from the link above: ACT has in the past obtained water from Tantangara Dam. During the 1965 to 1968 drought, watering of home gardens was restricted to a hand-held hose from 6 to 7 pm. An emergency release of water from Tantangara Dam was arranged from 20 February to 10 April 1968 and the water that reached Canberra was pumped into Cotter Dam. (end)

Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Yass and other parts of SE NSW have a shortage of water impacting economic growth. Googong Dam is controlled by the ACT not NSW, so Queanbeyan has little say on its use for its own residents.

Sydney has problems too. A 2 billion dollar desalination plant was planned to be built for Sydney. This would involve huge running costs and create huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Why not save the money and build a pipeline from the Snowy scheme to Sydney and “water” towns along its path. C’mon, the money received from the sale of Snowyhydro is less than the cost of the construction of the planned desalination plant. Just crazy.

If privatised, will we then be able to source water from the Snowy scheme for these the above towns without providing compensation ?

Will the taxpayer have to compensate the new owners if drought reduces the ability of generating a suitable amount of electricity to maintain profits ?

Will we be able to seek compensation from Snowyhydro or the NSW government if cloud seeding reduces rainfall in other nearby areas ?

Who will pay for the maintenance of the dams, tunnels, roads and other infrastructure ? Dams don’t last forever.

Its just seems stupid that we are selling the means of controlling such a huge important resource. If the NSW government can’t get a tollway contract right.ie. Cross City Tunnel, how can they get something as complicated as the sale SnowyHydro right too.

Never mind the fact the scheme was funded by all taxpayers in Australia. Not just NSW, SA and VIC

…with blackjack, and hookers!

You could start you own!

Is there a petition I can sign if I don’t give a damn but just want it to be properly regulated?