Tag Archive for 'desalination'

Melbourne’s desal plant – where will the money come from?

Published
by
Robert Merkel
1 year ago
in Markets, Melbourne, Victoria and Water
. 73 Comments

According to The Age, the two private-sector consortia bidding to build and operate Melbourne’s proposed desalination plant can’t borrow enough money to finance the construction:

Premier John Brumby’s $3.1 billion desalination plant, the cornerstone of his plan to drought-proof Melbourne, appears to be in trouble as major project finance dries up around the world.

Banking sources say the project faces a funding gap of between $1 billion and $2 billion. Some in the infrastructure industry say a mere $300 million to $500 million is available from banks for all major projects across the country.

The shortfalls confront the Brumby and Rudd governments with either finding the money to bail out the controversial plant, along with a string of other projects across the country, or shelving it.

Continue reading ‘Melbourne’s desal plant – where will the money come from?’

Water tanks, round 247

Published
by
Robert Merkel
1 year, 6 months ago
in Environment, Melbourne, Victoria and Water
. 52 Comments

The water tank wars are going another round, this time in the Victorian state cabinet, according to yesterday’s Age:

The behind-the-scenes Government debate centres on the role of tanks in light of last year’s contentious decision to spend almost $5 billion on big water projects such as desalination.

It has intensified as the Government finalises its new-look green building code. Existing five-star rules require that all new homes must have a tank or solar hot water system.

Senior bureaucrats with the ear of Water Minister Tim Holding are arguing that, with the desalination plant set to come on line in 2011, tanks should be left to personal choice.

Continue reading ‘Water tanks, round 247′