“Two years ago there was a drought where Brisbane was running out of water and many urgent measures were considered but that’s no longer the case and there’s the time to put better solutions in place to meet the region’s needs with proper planning. However, this Marcoola desalination option has always been wrong on so many levels,” Ms Simpson said.

“The use of Wivenhoe Dam to store more water would be equivalent to more water than Tugan Desalination plant. That should be a high priority and doesn’t make sense that they’re still proceeding with expensive plans for Marcoola when the other option is a far more cost effective bulk supply for Brisbane.”

Ms Simpson who also supported storm water and rainwater harvesting with decentralised models said she was concerned that the State could once again take advantage of the area’s water sufficiency and steal water.

“It’s time that water efficiency and forward planning was rewarded – our Sunshine Coast region had water resources which were plundered because of poor planning to the south.

“Even if our region adopts some fantastic water efficiency and harvesting measures and becomes the most water efficient and sustainable location, the State will still try and pull water out of our region to feed the high growth elsewhere.

“That’s why improving Wivenhoe’s yield would feed Brisbane and the Western Corridor and take their demand out of our area, Ms Simpson said.”

On a more positive note, the Minister congratulated South East Queensland residents on reducing their water usage to below the target 200 litres/person/day.  If this is maintained, he said the region won't need a new source until at least 2027.

But in spite of this, the report recommends starting work on the Marcoola desal plant by 2014.

The Queensland Water Commission believes the Marcoola site, adjacent to the proposed second runway for the Sunshine Coast Airport will cause only "manageable" operational issues.

“But they are missing the point.  A desalination plant at Marcoola is still in the wrong location because its too far away from the main areas of  population growth.  It will cost too much to move the water to wear its needed,” Ms Simpson said.

“Airports are a lot harder to shift – or expand – than desalination plants.

“Since when have water planners had the expertise to make strategic planning decisions about airports?” Ms Simpson said.

The future development of the Sunshine Coast Airport is critical to the growing economy of this region.  We cannot allow the Bligh Government to jeopardise this by putting a desalination plant next to the planned new runway.

Now's the time for the Government to fully investigate all other options which weren't available when we were in a drought, such as extending Wivenhoe Dam, not to push ahead with a costly and inefficient desalination plant.