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Ethical Decision Making Constructing the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant

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Ethical decision making constructing the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant
Executive Summary

Water Forever is a media group writing for a business journal. The group has an interest in how desalination directly benefits the various stakeholders. The Victorian desalination plant (WDP) located in South Victoria off the coast line of Wonthaggi located has received much criticism. Many controversial and ethical issues have been expressed by various stakeholders. Despite these concerns, a decision has been made to go ahead with the multibillion dollar project and build Australia’s largest desalination plant. The Victorian government’s target was to deliver drinking water that is amongst the best in Australia and to ensure that Victorians no …show more content…

Today, desalination is a common process that's used in seaside cities and towns worldwide. There are more than 15,000 desalination plants around the world providing freshwater from salt and brackish water alike (Planet Green 2011). This number continues to grow as researchers work to improve the process, both in terms of cost effectiveness and energy efficiency (DSE 2011). But countries such as Australia, Israel and even the United States are continually adding desalination plants of various sorts into their water-management portfolios. The facilities are common in North Africa and the Mideast, where freshwater is scarce (Chandler 2008).
Desalination is a proven technology; we know it works as we can see from other countries that have desalination plants. We know it will produce water no matter the weather rain, hail or shin. The Victorian Government believes that it’s a good insurance policy, and has given the all go for the WDP.
The Victorian Government has said it will buy renewable energy credits to offset the plant's power requirement - about 3.5 kilowatt hours for each 1000 litres of drinking water, plus almost half as much again to pump it to Melbourne (DSE January 2009). Dr Tim Fletcher, director of the Institute for Sustainable Water Resources at Monash

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