Trespass claims rejected

By Helena Adeloju
MELBOURNE Water and the Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance have rejected anti-pipeline campaigners’ claims of pre-construction surveyors trespassing property.
“Suggestions that staff are trespassing when they enter properties to do necessary survey work for the pipeline are inaccurate,” said a joint statement by Melbourne Water and the Sugarloaf Pipeline.
It said Melbourne Water and the Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance have all the necessary State and Federal permits for the investigative survey works they have performed to date.
It pointed to Section 133 of the Water Act which allows Melbourne Water employees to enter properties, but said the agencies were sorry that landowners had been upset by their staff needing to be on their land.
Committee Member of the anti-plug group, Plug the Pipe Mike Dalmau said Melbourne Water had to walk its talk.
“In a recent case, Melbourne Water did not follow due process and people entered a property illegally,” Mr Dalmau said.
He said Section 133 didn’t give members of Melbourne Water and the Sugar Pipeline Alliance an automatic right to enter any property.
“They are required to make either verbal or written contact with landowners at least seven days before attempting to enter a property,” Mr Dalmau said.
Mr Dalmau also rejected the claim made by Melbourne Water and the Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance that “there is ample data for the Victorian and Federal Governments to make a fully informed decision about the pipeline based on detailed flora and fauna studies along the proposed alignment.
“How can Peter Garrett possibly make an informed decision when the project assessment panel is still saying that their report that won’t be finished until 2009 is ‘still a work in progress’,” Mr Dalmau said.
Anti-pipeline campaigners also claim to have been told by Pipeline Alliance employees that Melbourne Water intends to start pipeline construction on private land before acquiring the easement for the proposed pipeline required by law.
Plug the Pipe spokeswoman Jan Beer said Melbourne Water was acting as an agent for the Brumby Government.
“They are so desperate to start the project as they know they are unlikely to finish it before the next election,” Ms Beer said.
The Mail contacted Minister for Water Tim Holding’s office for a comment that was declined.
Shadow State Water Minister Peter Walsh said: “The Liberal and National parties are absolutely opposed to the pipeline which is a breaking of a major election promise by the Brumby Government.”