Qld: Beattie accepts blame for level five water restrictions

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2007
Qld: Beattie accepts blame for level five water restrictions

BRISBANE, April 10 AAP - Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says he is prepared to accept
the blame for the introduction of tough new water restrictions in the state's south-east.

The water saving measures took effect across 12 parched south-east council areas today
as the state battles its worst drought on record and water supplies continue to plummet.

Residents will no longer be able to wash their cars, caravans and boats at home, while
bucket watering of gardens has been scaled back under the new restrictions.

Mr Beattie today said while no one could have predicted the drought and its ramifications,
he understood people were angry about the latest water restrictions.

"I accept full responsibility and the buck stops with me," he said.

"If people are angry about this they should blame me and no one else, and I'm happy
to accept the blame.

"But what I need to do is provide people with water, and what I am doing is asking
Queenslanders in the south-east corner to fight the drought with me."

However, Mr Beattie rejected claims he did not do enough to build water infrastructure
to counter the drought long before it took hold.

"If the weather patterns had continued as they were and we hadn't had the worst drought
on record, then there would never have been the political will from councils to allow
us to do what we're doing," he said.

"If we had tried to build all these pipelines and take over (water management) as much
as we have from local authorities and turn responsibilities and direct them to do things,
there would have been a war."

The government is in the process of building an $8 billion water grid, which includes
a recycled water pipeline and a desalination plant, to ease the water crisis.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney said the grid was too little too late.

He said the new water restrictions were the culmination of nine years of failure by
the Beattie Labor government to provide any new water infrastructure.

"The government likes to blame the drought (for the water crisis) but ... we've always
had droughts in south-east Queensland and we always will," he said.

"The problem now has become a major crisis for the people of south-east Queensland
and they should never forget that level five water restrictions are Peter Beattie's fault."

Meanwhile, Mr Beattie said an audit of water infrastructure in south-east Queensland
would be released later this month.

The audit will help the government determine how it will take over water management
from local councils.

AAP rm/srp/mn

KEYWORD: WATER QLD

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