The cost of the Kangaloon Borefield revealed

For several years, the community has been trying to get from the SCA the real cost of the Kangaloon Borefield. As recently as this week the Project Manager, Mr John Ross told some people that it was "about $10 million".

Oh, yeah?

Our own estimates were of the order of about $80 to $100 million, but that figure was ridiculed by the SCA representatives, including Mr Ross, in private discussions.

The members of the Upper Nepean Groundwater Community Reference Group (the "CRG") have been denied any hard figures on the costing, over 3 years of an intensive "consultation" process.

Well, wonder of wonders, look what has now turned up in public:
On 7 December 2006, a Major Project Application was received by the Dept of Planning for the project to be considered under Part 3A listed the project at an estimated cost of $60 million to $80 million.
I ask, what does Mr John Ross say to that? I stand ready to publish any reply from Mr Ross, or Mr Tanner, the Acting Chief Executive of the SCA.

The application was lodged by Mr Tanner, and is personally signed by him, as A/Chief Executive. dated 4.12 06.
So I wonder how much that cost has blown out since then?

• Consider the extra testing done.
• All the expensive consultants hired since then.
• The expanded borefield (eg, 75 bores now planned, vs the 50 - 60 originally planned).
• And what about inflations since Dec 2006?
• And just consider the impact of fuel cost explosion since 2006.
• Etc, etc.

At long last, we have some real figures to work on, now.

It is absolutely necessary that the SCA conduct a cost-benefit analysis of this ridiculous project before a single tree is felled to clear way for pipes and powerlines.