Express MIDLAND
www.midlandexpress.com.au
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Inside today
MIDLAND PROPERTY
Living &
‘A LICENCE TO POLLUTE’ Angela Crawford
Environmental journalist Gregg Borschmann will next week MC two panel discussions with high-profile scientists about emblematic native wildlife of central Victoria. Full story, page 40.
Coliban Water's planned upgrade of the Kyneton Water Reclamation Plant will not be completed in time to prevent further illegal discharges of wastewater to the Campaspe River this year, downstream landowners fear. Significant rain a fortnight ago has raised the plant's storage lagoons to 96 per cent capacity and wet conditions have delayed upgrade works as part of the Kyneton Solutions Project, established in response to CW's ongoing contamination of the river with excess wastewater from the plant. Coliban Water's managing director Damian Wells said the $15-17 million investment would deliver improved treatment processes and double storage capacity at the plant to provide greater protection to the river. "Phase one works were completed in March this year and works are underway as part of phase two, which include the construction of an additional 200-megalitre storage lagoon at the plant," Mr Wells said. "We had planned this would be completed by December this year, however wet weather is impacting the works onsite and we now anticipate works to be completed early in the new year. "This delay, together with the delayed start to the irrigation season, has put pressure on our plant operations and lagoon levels." Continued page 11.
Dispute to Consumer Affairs Eve Lamb
Members of Mount Alexander Animal Welfare have written to Consumer Affairs Victoria airing concerns about the conduct of the organisation's committee. Their concerns include the committee's failure, to date, to accept a grant to establish a low-cost vet clinic at MAAW's Castlemaine animal shelter. A delegation of concerned members, including former president Stephanie Miller, Ian Slattery and James Mack, contacted the Express highlighting concerns they said were shared by more than 60 MAAW members. "Since the last AGM in September 2019 there has been great volatility in the membership of the committee with seven resignations - the president, three treasurers, the secretary, the vice-president and a committee mem-
ber," they said in a prepared statement. "With the exception of new president, Liz Nolan, vacancies have been filled by the organisation's opportunity shop volunteers without consulting with the MAAW member base, volunteers or staff." They also said that in February MAAW heard it was successful in a state grant application, submitted last November, to establish a low-cost vet clinic at its Castlemaine animal shelter. They're particularly concerned that the current committee has not yet accepted the grant. "Animal Welfare Vic had praised the application and awarded $91,000 for equipment to establish the clinic," they said in their statement. "The grant had supporting letters from Mount Alexander Shire, Castlemaine Vet Clinic and Maree Edwards MP."
Since concerns were raised with Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards, the committee received a six-month extension to make a final decision on accepting the grant. "I think the new committee felt they didn't have enough information to make that decision," MAAW committee president Liz Nolan said. "There needed to be some work on the provision of budgeting, an operational plan, employment, requirements in relation to leasing the veterinary room. There was a lot of support but nothing in detail in relation to how it was going to happen and be run. "At the moment we have the shelter manager and a couple of people working on that proposal, providing an update on an operational plan, budget, expenses... so the committee can review it," she said. Continued page 10.
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