The start of pipeline work led to arrests at Glenburn last week.By Kath Gannaway
ANTI-North South Pipeline campaigner Jan Beer has warned Dixon’s Creek landowners to prepare for “bully-boy” tactics when construction of the controversial pipeline begins in the Yarra Valley.
The first of the 5500 lengths of pipe went into the ground at Glenburn last week.
Ms Beer was one of eight Plug The Pipe protestors arrested at Glenburn on Thursday for obstruction and trespass under the Water Act.
The protestors were arrested when they entered the construction area and refused to leave.
Ms Beer told the Mail she had permission from the property owner to go ontohis land which is part of the pipelineconstruction zone.
She said the protest aimed to reinforce the group’s stand that the pipeline is a flawed project that will not work asthere is not enough water in the Murray-Goulburn system to send water to Melbourne.
“We also wanted to push the issued that we feel the Alliance (the Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance comprising Melbourne Water with partners GHD, SKM and John Holland) is acting illegally.
“They have not acquired that easement as yet. It has not been gazetted and no compensation has been offered to the owner,” Ms Beer said.
Alliance project director Rod Clifford, however, says the protestors were warned and the consequences are now a matter for the courts.
“The Alliance understands this is a sensitive issue. We’ve gone to great lengths to work with affected landowners and the wider community to explain the rights, obligations and importance of the project,” he said following the arrests.
“Affected landowners will be compensated fairly, both for easements on their land and for any loss as a direct result of the construction of what is a critical piece of infrastructure,” he said.
Though the project director said the land would be fully reinstated, Glenburn farmer Russell Muller, on whose land the arrests took place, told the Mail last week he had grave reservations about the process.
“I don’t know that it will ever be back to what was,” Mr Muller said.
“I’ve told them several times they are still not taking enough top soil off and if they don’t take it off now we will end up with half the top soil we had and the land won’t be anywhere near as productive as it was before. They just don’t listen.”
There are moves, too, at state and federal government level to stop the pipeline.
Opposition spokesman Peter Walsh last week announced an Upper House Parliamentary Inquiry into major water projects including the North-South Pipeline.
He said the inquiry would give landowners and others affected by major water projects to have their say with public hearings planned across the state.
He said the inquiry would have authority to question MPs, Ministers and departmental staff.
At Federal level, McEwen MP Fran Bailey has flagged her intention to introduce a Private members Bill to halt construction of the pipeline.
She said the Bill would be presented in conjunction with a similar Bill in the Senate and Coalition amendments to the Water Act.
Ms Bailey said the Rudd Government had ignored all scientific and geological evidence in removing the Goulburn River from the Murray Darling Basin at the request of Victorian Premier John Brumby.
Jan Beer said landowners would continue to fight, but said people are paying a high price for standing up for what they believe in.
