Water Corporation to stage community meeting and drop-in sessions to explain the proposed Nanarup desal plant

The Water Corporation is still battling for hearts and minds when it comes to its proposed desalination plant in Nanarup and is hosting a community meeting about the scheme on Tuesday.

The corporation has run four previous events at the Lower Kalgan Hall with Tuesday’s proceedings including lunchtime and early-evening drop-in sessions before a community gathering from 5-7.30pm.

The drop-in information stalls will be available from 1.30-2.30pm and again from 4-5pm.

They will offer the opportunity for the public to speak directly to members of the plant’s project team.

Water Corporation said staff at the community meeting will explain why the Lower Great Southern needs a new water source and how seawater desalination works.

They will also talk about the proposed Nanarup plant and the planning and investigation work which is currently under way.

There has been significant local opposition to the plant which has received the backing of the State Government.

Nanarup was chosen as the site of a “small scale” plant over other options which included Sandpatch.

Residents are worried about the possible noise from the plant and the industrialisation of a predominately rural area.

When Greens MLC Jess Beckerling visited the area in August, about 35 local residents joined her to protest against the plant.

Ms Beckerling urged them to keep up their campaign and said she knew that the consultation process around the choice of site had been poor.

The choice of Nanarup was formally announced in February by the State Government’s then-Water Minister Don Punch.

He said Albany needed the plant because current groundwater sources would be insufficient for the city by 2030.

At the announcement, City of Albany mayor Greg Stocks challenged the Water Corporation to “do no harm”.