Communist Web Tuesday 9th May 2000 9.30pm gmt Action saves Port Adelaide River by David Kirner Residents in the predominately working class city of Port Adelaide have won a second major environmental and public health victory in South Australia with this month's announcement by the Olsen Government of zero sewage effluent discharge into the Port Adelaide River by 2002. Residents acted en masse and through their community, indigenous and environmental groups, local politicians and councillors. The Port Adelaide River is South Australia's largest estuary and home to a 200-strong dolphin pod and forms part of an interlinked major breeding ground for sea life, including the King George Whiting and Blue Swimmer Crab. It is also a major working class recreational asset and home to the Pelican and Dolphin Dreaming of the Kaurna people. The campaign to stop the discharge and subsequent victory crossed party and political boundaries, in the context of the current water resource problems affecting the Murray River, and highlighted the most appropriate manner of dealing with water re-use in the country's driest state, South Australia. The decision comes after 12 months of community action, involving public protests, lobbying, marches and the blockading of transport corridors and construction sites. Construction, engineering and maintenance jobs will be created by the decision. Sewage treatment The zero discharge decision will cost $100 million and will transfer all sewage effluent and waste water by pipeline to sewage treatment works at Bolivar, north of Port Adelaide. The treatment works project will be completed by 2002. The funds will be spent on the pipeline and on the construction of new desalination and tertiary treatment plants. Thirty percent of the wastewater treated will be used in the Virginia market gardens regions, north of Bolivar. However, local community and environment groups, while solidly supporting the initiatives, are calling for new technologies or wetland developments to re-use the 70 percent of excess water rather than divert it back into the... http://www.billkath.demon.co.uk/cw/actionsaves/actionsaves.html
