Chance to buy back property | Gympie News | Local News in Gympie

PREMIER Anna Bligh has said the 494 properties the State Government purchased for the rejected Traveston Crossing Dam would be offered for sale back to the original owners.

But Gympie Deputy Mayor Tony Perrett said he didn’t know whether the previous owners of the land would be able to reinvest in the area as most had moved away.

Cr Perrett said council hoped to meet with the premier to discuss the future of the land and retaining for agricultural purposes.

Premier Anna Bligh said yesterday the Federal Government’s decision not to approve the dam would mean bringing forward construction of new desalination plants in south-east Queensland.

“Everyone needs drinking water and Traveston is the cheapest water source available for a growing south-east Queensland,” Ms Bligh said.

“We’re already building a dam at Wyaralong, we’ve built a purified recycled water plant, a desalination plant and other infrastructure that means we can move water from one part of the region to another.

“And south-east Queenslanders have shown they are world-record water savers.

“A dam at Traveston Crossing was the cheapest and most reliable way of properly planning for a growing population, for future drought and for climate change.

“The alternative to this dam is at least two more desalination plants around the size of Tugun. That will mean significantly higher economic and environmental costs.”

Land will now be set aside for construction of new desalination plants at Lytton and Marcoola by 2017-2018.

Ms Bligh said the 50 year Water Strategy identified the duplication of the Tugun desalination plant as the next best option and beyond that a site at Bribie Island.

She said these would be subject to actual population growth, drought and climates change.

These sites will be reserved and it will be up to a future government to decide whether to construct them in 2030 or beyond.

Ms Bligh said new desalination plants would be the only option to supply the same amount of water the dam would have delivered.

She said the Traveston Crossing Dam would have held around 153,000 ML of water – delivering up to 70,000ML of water a year.

“The Federal Government has struck a serious blow to the water security of south-east Queensland. We’ll need to bring forward construction of new desalination plants to make up for the water Traveston Crossing Dam would have provided,” she said.

People who have had property purchased can call 1800 225 384.