Letter to Community Member 1 from TDJV
17 May 2011
Re: Victorian Desalination Project – response to CLG questions
I am writing in response to a number of questions that you submitted to the Community Liaison
Group meeting 28 April 2011. The Bass Coast Shire Council representative, Cr Veronica Dowman,
tabled these questions on your behalf and we have been asked to provide a response. Can the
consortium confirm that a company called ‘The Performance Attitude’ gave a presentation, or
presentations, to employees and/or contractors of the TDJV or AquaSure, or that the services of this
company ‘The Performance Attitude’ have been engaged by the TDJV or Aquasure? As advised
previously, we are not in a position to confirm the engagement of suppliers on the project with you.
In consideration of the volume of standing water at the site of the project currently known as the
Victorian Desalination Project, has the consortium instigated mandatory blood tests of all
contractors and employees for the diagnosis of Ross River Virus? The volume of standing water on
site currently poses no risk to employee health as such, mandatory blood testing is not required.
Yours sincerely
Serena Middleton
Communications & Community Relations Manager
cc. Cr Veronica Dowman – CLG Representative for Bass Coast Shire Council
Letter to Community Member 2 from TDJV
17 May 2011
Dear
Re: Victorian Desalination Project – response to CLG question
I am writing in response to a question that was submitted to the Community Liaison Group meeting
on 28 April 2011. The Bass Coast Shire Council representative, Cr Veronica Dowman, tabled this
question on your behalf and we have been asked to provide a response. Aquasure has claimed
(through its CLG) that is has an ‘Action Plan’ regarding the shearwaters who are currently migrating
from Phillip Island. Like others, I’ve searched for the details of this plan and have been unsuccessful.
Can Council please articulate what the specifics of this plan are? Please find attached a copy of our
Short-tailed Shearwater Management Plan for your information.
(For a copy of this plan please contact DEPI – Capital Projects Division via email
desalination.project@depi.vic.gov.au )
Yours sincerely
Serena Middleton
Communications & Community Relations Manager
cc. Cr Veronica Dowman – CLG Representative for Bass Coast Shire Council
Letter to Community Member 3 from AquaSure
19 May 2011
Re: Victorian Desalination Project – response to CLG question
I am writing in response to questions that you have submitted to the Community Liaison Group in
April. The Bass Coast Shire Council representative, Cr Veronica Dowman, tabled this question on
your behalf and we have been asked to provide a response. Does the consortium and Aquasure have
a contingency for the ‘mothballing’ of the project currently known as the Victorian Desalination
Project? AquaSure has entered into a contract with the Victorian Government to finance, design,
construct, operate and maintain the Victorian Desalination plant for a 30 year period. The terms of
the contract do not require a contingency for mothballing. Can the consortium describe in detail the
procedure for and the result of the ‘mothballing’ of the project currently known as the Victorian
Desalination Project being a situation where the facility, if build would not produce water, or would
produce an absolute minimum quantity of water? The contract provides for the Government to
specify annually how much water it requires to be produced, including zero. The design of the plant
ensures that it can accommodate any possible supply scenario.
Yours sincerely
Chris Herbert
Chief Executive Office
AquaSure Pty Ltd
cc. Cr Veronica Dowman – CLG Representative for Bass Coast Shire Council
Letter from Community Member 4 to Cardinia Shire Council
14 April 2011
Cr Stuart Halligan
Port Ward
Cardinia Shire Council
Re: Flooding of Mcdonalds Drain Rd East on 5th February 2011-04-15
Dear Stuart
I am writing to you as our local ward councillor and representative on the Desalination Project
Community Liaison committee seeking your assistance with the above matter. Following the
meeting with the Joint Venture representative that was convened by …. and yourself we took the
advice given to us by the JV and submitted both a personal and a business claim for the damage and
losses incurred due to the flooding caused by the removal of the levee bank at the Ballarto Rd
bridge. The claims were lodged with Cameron Tonkin on the 25-2-11 and he confirmed his
acceptance of them on 28-2-11 via email. As discussed at the council meeting the JV indicated they
would settle these minor personal type claims quickly however no action was taken until you raised
the matter at your committee meeting on 24th March the next day my personal claim and that of
some of my neighbours was settled under a confidentiality clause letter. To date other than
Camerons email stating that the major business claim had been received I have had no formal
notification that we have a claim or that there is any intent by the JV or it’s insurers to deal with the
matter of losses caused by this event. We do not know who the insurers are, how they are dealing
with our claim or what the process is from here on. When this letter is tabled it will pushing on to
three months since the flooding we are very concerned that we are going to be pushed aside by the
JV and we seek your assistance in ensuring that due process is carried out in regard to our claim.
Yours sincerely
Letter to Community Member 4 from Thiess Degremont Nacap JV
14 May 2011
Re: Victorian Desalination Project – response to CLG letter
I am writing in response to a letter that you submitted to the Community Liaison Group meeting on
28 April 2011. The Cardinia Shire Council community representative, Cr Stuart Halligan, tabled the
letter on your behalf and we have been asked to provide a response. We can confirm that the
business claim made has been passed on to the Thiess Degremont Nacap JV’s Insurers. Before the
Insurers can comment on the matters contained in your claim, it will be necessary for them to
undertake a full and proper independent assessment into the cause and extent of flooding at
McDonalds Drain East. The Insurers are currently engaged in this process, however, as you will
appreciate, this is a complex exercise given the size and nature of the event. Whilst this assessment
is being undertaken and s previously stated, we are not in a position to comment on matters of
liability. However, please be assured that your claim is being diligently pursued and you will be
contacted as soon as the Insurers have made a determination. Should you have any further queries,
please do not hesitate to contact Cameron Tonkin directly on 03 9516 1515. We appreciate your
patience.
Yours sincerely
Graeme Tait
Project Manager
Thiess Degremont Nacap JV
cc. Cr Stuart Halligan – CLG Representative for Cardinia Shire Council
Letter from Community Member 5 to Bass Coast Shire Council
Sent: Thursday, 28 April 2011 10:55am
To: Cr Veronica Dowman
Subject: Question for the desalination CLG
Hello Veronica,
Hope you are well and enjoying the mayoral role. Would you please submit this question to the
desalination CLG’s next meeting for me: Partially publicly released contracts seem to indicate that
water is to be supplied from the desalination plant to Melbourne by the end of November this year
(unless penalties are to apply) and yet AquaSure is now saying they don’t need to do so until July
2012. AquaSure’s website states, “the project will be completed by December 2011”. Could you
please confirm when AquaSure is required to be delivering water to the Melbourne grid, and if it is
not November this year, how that comes about. I might have missed this CLG meeting (can’t see
where they publish the date of meetings.) If this is the case I will submit to the office in Wonthaggi
as well. Kind Regards,
Letter to Community Member 5 from AquaSure
19 May 2011
Re: Victorian Desalination Project – response to CLG question
I am writing in response to a question that you submitted to the Community Liaison Group in April.
The Bass Coast Shire Council representative, Cr Veronica Dowman has forwarded this question on
your behalf and we have been asked to provide a response. Partially publicly released contracts
seem to indicate that water is to be supplied from the desalination plant to Melbourne by the end of
November this year (unless penalties are to apply) and yet AquaSure is now saying they don’t need
to do so until July 2012. AquaSure’s website states, “the project will be completed by December
2011”. Could you please confirm when AquaSure is required to be delivering water to the
Melbourne grid, and if it is not November this year, how that comes about. The original timeline as
currently appears on AquaSure’s website provides the following milestones:


December 2011 – 150GL completed (data for commercial acceptance)
30 June 2012 – Commissioning completed (date for Reliance Test Finalisation)
By way of clarification, under the terms of the contract these two key milestone dates refer to
different completion points as follows:


19 December 2011 – Date for Commercial Acceptance. This is achieved once the works and
the D&C activities (including site reinstatement and landscaping) are complete to the extent
that the Desalinated Water Supply System is capable of supplying the equivalent of
150GL/year.
30 June 2012 – RT Finalisation which is achieved once all the following works are completed
and the plant is fully commissioned:
The RTF milestone has not changed. The project is on schedule for commissioning to be completed
by 30 June 2012, ready for the state’s first water ordering year (July 2012) in accordance with the
contract. The November date referenced in your letter refers to the Preliminary Commercial
Acceptance Date which will be achieved when the Desalination Water Supply System is able to
supply and deliver at least 50GL per annum of desalinated water. This is scheduled to occur within
four to six weeks of Commercial Acceptance. The first delivery of water will now occur by the end of
March 2012.
Yours sincerely
Chris Herbert
Chief Executive Officer
AquaSure Pty Ltd
cc. Cr Veronica Dowman – CLG Representative for Bass Coast Shire Council