IT WAS really disappointing to see Ross McPherson adopt the state Labor government's tactic of deliberately confusing the process surrounding the Colbinabbin to Bendigo pipeline with the government's north-south pipeline (The Advertiser June 20).

These two projects are significantly different.

In relation to the Colbinabbin pipeline to Eppalock, years of state government inaction and waste had led this city to the point of extreme crisis.

Without bores to the surrounding aquifers, without fixing our leaking rural allocations prior to the recycled water project and without addressing our leaking urban system, Bendigo, which I must remind everybody is very much a part of the Murray Darling Basin, came within six months of running dry.

Against this backdrop, I took the only stance any civic leader could take, and that is to not only support but to advocate, well before any government announcement, that we needed to find a way to access water from the Goulburn system.

Initially the government announced it was going to build a pipeline to the Campaspe Weir.

This project lasted three weeks.

But for the Labor government, and now Mr McPherson, to use comments I made in regard to that situation as a blueprint for water policies advocating taking water from the Goulburn River and out of the Murray Darling Basin to Melbourne is clearly deceptive.

Melbourne storages are at 29.4 per cent, while our storages at Eppalock and Eildon are at 6.5 per cent and 13.9 per cent respectively.

Melbourne presently wastes 350,000 megalitres every year tipping poorly treated effluent into our oceans at Gunnamatta and Werribee.

Melbourne has no significant storm water harvesting program up and running, which again could save hundreds of thousands of megalitres per year.

Melbourne has plenty of options - and we haven't even spoken about additional storages or desalination.

My opposition to the north-south pipeline is based clearly on the fact I do not believe the government is being honest with this project and the projected savings they are quoting.

When the government comes up short with these savings, the people of northern Victoria will be looking to the National Party to help them through an uncertain future.

This present state Labor government has a history of broken promises and, when put under pressure, they simply cannot be trusted.

DAMIAN DRUM,

Member for Northern Victoria Region