From Colin Parry.
PETER Body (JEP, 13 May) just doesn’t get it. Mr Body has become a self-appointed apologist for States profligacy and has completely missed the point.
More worrying, however, is that far too many States Members, trustees of taxpayers’ money, are also missing the point.
Every time there is a call for States spending restraint, the same old chestnuts are rolled out. School milk will have to be withdrawn, for example – anything will do as long as the issue is emotive, when in fact solutions must be found for the real problems which originate much higher up the chain.
Does anyone believe, for instance, that the work in progress at Bel Royal is absolutely, and I stress absolutely, necessary? Or are the majority of us thinking the same thing but see no point in commenting because we know it will carry on regardless? This work has cost the taxpayer £980,000, and the result, as we know, is far from satisfactory.
However, the best is yet to come. Transport and Technical Services and the minister are proposing a replacement incinerator which is as inappropriate in magnitude as it is in location. If they have their way, we shall be spending in the region of £80 million (yes, £80 million! – the biggest States project ever) on a system which has an enormous overcapacity for our needs at a time when official States strategy recommends recycling. To make matters even worse, they intend siting this monstrosity at the Island’s maritime gateway.
There is an alternative modular system, the capacity of which can be increased in the future if needed and which will cost a fraction of the one proposed. There exists a report by Juniper Consultants, commissioned by the Environment Scrutiny panel, which casts serious doubts on the need for the larger unit.
After reading the report, I consider it to be madness to pursue the course of the current proposal by Transport and Technical Services until all the alternatives have been considered and every factor taken into account.
This is not the time for working from self-indulgent wishlists, and I would urge Islanders to obtain a copy of the Juniper Report from Morier House or the Town Hall, free of charge, and then draw their own conclusions.
The States do not have any money. It is ours they are spending, and we have every right to expect them to spend it wisely.
Veslet Lodge,
Ville au Veslet,
St Lawrence.
Article posted on 22nd May, 2008 - 3.00pm
2 Article Comments
Following Mr Parrys letter 22/5/08.
Will the Minister for TTS be putting himself forward in the Senatorial elections this year to give ALL electors the right to make their choice on whether he has satisfied us all as to his capabilities to run this Department.
T.Nightingale
4 Welton Farm
Five Oaks
St Saviour,je2 7ud
I agree it is a total waste of public funds to build another mass burn incinerator to replace the clapped out Bellozanne plant.Clapped out because of severe under-utilization corrosion.
The “preferred bidder” CNIM of France price for this replacement monstrosity is NOT £80million but a wacking great £106.31 million !!!!!
The international engineering giant Babcock Wilcox Volund of Denmark would build an incinerator of equal quality for around £40 million !!!. HOWEVER…..They offer The States of Jersey a FAR BETTER, fully guaranteed option than this - and that is to build a 105,000 tonne capacity total resource recovery/materials recycling plant with carbon neutral 10mW(e) biomass CHP boiler plant to provide power to the local grid and connections for a local district heating scheme for 8,000 hours a year.
THE PRICE…… 60 MILLION QUID !! with a ability to earn around £4,000,000 from power sales alone.
The big question now is - who has the authority to negotiate for this superior engineering to save the taxpayers a minimum £40 million.