MEDIA RELEASE

Fair Water Use (Australia) believes that the worst fears of the rapidly-increasing percentage of Australians who are disgusted by the ongoing privatisation of the nation’s water have been confirmed by recent statements ascribed to Gavin Hanlon, Managing Director of Coliban Water Corporation, which controls water supplies to a large portion of the state of Victoria.

Apparently the Coliban Water Corporation can see no problem with their proposal to provide their “customers” with as much water as they can afford, irrespective of the fact that the region is under the grip of the worst drought on record: [Source article here]

National coordinator of FWU, Ian Douglas, responded to this development saying, “The Corporation should show some concern for the Murray-Darling Basin community, particularly in the light of yesterday’s report that the level of the lower Murray may well be nearly 1.5 metres below sea-level within the next few months”.

Dr Douglas concluded, “If, as is likely, other water corporations intend to apply this brazen, market-driven approach to water supplies across South-Eastern Australia the consequences for the general public are truly terrifying”.

Much of the water which will be offered for sale by Coliban Water is carry-over allocation from last year, currently stored in Lake Eildon, which is struggling at 18% capacity.

Fair Water Use calls upon the Federal opposition, Greens and independent Federal senators to support the increasingly loud calls for a state of emergency to be declared with respect to the Murray-Darling Basin and for the establishment of the Royal Commission of Enquiry into its governance and administration.