Yesterday the New South Wales treasurer brought down the state budget - and it included funding for the controversial desalination plant to be located at Kurnell in Sydney.
By a curious coincidence of timing the go ahead for desalination has coincided with the end of the drought and within the time the budget was sent to the printers rain has been falling and the state dams are rapidly filling. In fact the dams in the Illawarra are now overflowing and Warragamba is way past danger level.
What a tempting decision for the government ! It could make a snap decision and put desalination on hold - and free up billions of dollars for other urgent projects such as health and roads. Or, it could stick to it's guns and let this controversial plant proceed in the sure knowledge that whatever the weather there will be a need for water in the growing Sydney basin in the near future that nature can not provide.
Either way will be a hard decision. If the long range weather people are right the building of the desalination plant will be accompanied by the reversal of the " El Nino " effect and citizens will see abnormal rainfall keeping dams full while this plant stands idle - waiting for the next drought.
Governments rarely like to spend money on future projects. State money is usually committed to shoring up infrastructure that is at a critical low because of lack of funding in previous years.
There will be furrowed brows as our leaders consult their crystal balls in Macquarie street in the days between the budget and the signing of the desalination works tender !
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