It's P2 Month!
President David reminded us of today in 1666 - the fire of London and seemed ready to set fire under our Rotary meetings! As well today in 1939 USA President FDR stated that the USA will remain neutral at the beginning of WWII.
We were reminded that not only should we as civilised and ethical Rotarians living by the 4 Way Test in everything we do and say, we should also live by the Gold Rule "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" (* see Fines session for more on this)
Guest Speaker - Alistair Jones - Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
Alistair joined the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation as Director General in January 2024. He arrived from the Department of Treasury, where he was Assistant Under Treasurer of the Economic Business Unit. Over 15 years in State Government, his leadership roles included a stint as Acting Director General of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation in 2023.
He strives to build strong relationships with Aboriginal organisations and community leaders, to ensure the department builds on its reconciliation journey and explores how Aboriginal teachings can be embedded into the work of the department.
Alistair was born in Nottingham, England and moved to regional WA when he was nine. He has a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Communication and spends much of his spare time happily acting as a taxi driver for his two daughters. He is also Peter Dowling’s son-in-law.
In his opening remarks, Alistair observed his father was a Rotarian for 30 years in Bunbury and later in Como, and Alastair himself tagged along to Rotary meetings in his early 20s, observing the ethos of Rotary.
He is not a typical environmental scientist, his background is in economics. He led an independent review into the state's environmental approvals process, known as the Vogel-McFerrin review, which resulted in him being appointed to his current role to implement its findings.
WA is undergoing a rapid 'third industrial revolution,' transforming its energy from oil to green energy (solar and wind), a process expected to take about 15 years. This rapid and globally contested change presents major challenges for the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).
- Approving large-scale solar farms requires significant land clearing, with some projects having a footprint the size of a small European country.
- To green the electricity network, the state must double the size of its transmission infrastructure (poles and wires) in ten years, a project estimated to cost $100 billion.
Primary water challenges facing Western Australia?
Water usage is dominated by mining (35%) and agriculture (about 33%).
Despite recent heavy rains, groundwater sources are being depleted faster than they can be recharged, due to poor streamflow and increased ground absorption from previous dry summers.
The state will increasingly depend on desalination for drinking water, with two plants (Kwinana and Binningup) already covering Perth's needs and a new one being built at Alkimos. Industries, particularly in the Pilbara, will also need to build desalination plants to meet their water needs, with several already in the pipeline. Desalination is extremely energy-intensive, however multiple desalination plants need to be built in the next five years, and they require a green energy source as the state moves away from coal and aims for renewable energy to meet emissions targets.
A major project to address the water crisis by building multiple desalination plants is critically dependent on a massive expansion of the green energy grid. However, the corresponding $100 billion, 10-year plan to double the electricity transmission network is at high risk of failure due to unresolved conflicts between large-scale land clearing and environmental protection, as well as significant hurdles in land acquisition and project approvals.
A multi-faceted approach to water management is necessary, combining public conservation, industrial reuse, water recycling, and stormwater capture, alongside regulatory enforcement against water wastage and illegal dumping.
In conclusion, there is no resolution on how to reform the state's fundamentally unsustainable water model, which currently allows for free groundwater extraction. A transition to a priced system is necessary for long-term sustainability, but there is no clear plan to manage the significant negative economic impact this would have on key industries, particularly agriculture and mining.
It is certainly a big responsibility for Alistair…
Alistair’s full presentation can be viewed at:
millpointrotaryclub.org.au>members only (password)> this link>Guest Speaker Presentations>JONES Alistair – WA Environment & Water Resources.
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Director/Member announcements
Why: Packing a 20’ container with about 12k units of linen rescued from the Pilbara mines. Container will go to the needy in Melbourne.
Where: Rapallo, 10 Elmsfield Rd, Midvale
When: Sat 13th, 8:30
Duration: About 2-3 hours
Helpers: About 7 or 8 would be good
Bring: Gloves, oldish clothes, sense of humour
Reply to Gerry Please:Gerrmcgann@iiNet.net.au 0438 642 738
VALE: The 'Celebration of Life' for Peter Craig will be held Wednesday 10 September, 2.30pm at the WA Golf Club 60 Hayes Avenue, Yokine.
Wayne: WANTED: Members with cars to join Wayne on a preliminary Fundraising event 9.30am Sunday 21 September for about 90 minutes to follow a route Wayne is hoping to replace the BulldustNBack and the Ramble. RSVP Wayne on 0414 249 972 for further details.
Kelly G: Ride the Train to End Polio or just wear your Polio T-shirt on Friday 24 October. See flyer under Events by scrolling down.
Brian J: Members will be sent a link to the annual survey so please help us by completing as much as you can. This will allow us to reach our goals and help with our strategic plan for 2025-2026.
Owen F: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner 20 September. Always a good night and lots of fun! Please let Owen know if you would like to be a host or guest(s) - see flyer for more details in Events by scrolling down.
- Tomorrow is colour blindness day so if you are not colour blind - a dollar please!
- Collingwood supporters - mainly Ian K who can also put in a dollar for the late Peter Craig.
- Any and all those who have lived in Victoria now that Victoria is deemed the North Korea of Australia!
- Father's Day celebrants on Sunday.
- Gerry McG - Freo is the best tourist town in WA?
- Ross Smith - for trying to pay his breakfast with his seniors card!
- Chinese automobile owners - please use Ausralian Dollars not Chinese Yen.