THE Wellington Dam desalination plant is back on the agenda in the wake of a potential fresh water shortage.
The Water Corporation's Water Forever South West draft report, released last month, indicated demand for water will outgrow supply by 2020 and there will be a 14 billion litre shortfall by 2060.
Nearly a decade after former WA premier Geoff Gallop first announced a joint state and federally funded project to set up desalinating Wellington Dam, it seems the failed venture could be back on the cards.
Member for Collie-Preston Mick Murray welcomed the renewed interest but said it was a shame the original project was not followed through in 2005 because the long-term goal of having potable water by 2015 would nearly have come to fruition.
"There was a distinct lack of follow up on the desalination of Wellington Dam after Colin Barnett came to government in 2008 and they eventually withdrew state funding and only just recently returned federal funds originally provided to Western Australia for the project," he said.
"Now it seems that after yet another report, we have a new idea called the Wellington Dam Revival Project being put forward for consideration."
Last week, Federal Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce, released a major policy blueprint that named 27 water projects around Australia that could be federally funded.
The Wellington Dam Revival Project was named as one project that could warrant future consideration of possible capital investment but was less advanced in stage of development compared to other projects across the nation.
Past enquiries into the salinity problems at Wellington Dam identified excessive land clearing upstream of the Collie River as causing increases in levels of salinity.
"Wellington Dam is the biggest water source in southern WA and holds something like 186 billion litres of water," Mr Murray said.
"Even if some of this can be diverted and desalinated for drinking water it would address a number of water shortage issues facing the South West."
"Treatment of water from Wellington Dam, whether or not it is desalinated enough for drinking purposes, would provide welcome job opportunities, much needed industry diversification in the Collie region and free up water for agriculture."