Northern Victorians should be very worried about today’s announced appointment of Gavin Hanlon as the new chief executive officer of Coliban Water, Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum said today.
“His appointment continues the cynical stacking of all northern Victoria water authorities with people who back the hated North-South Pipeline.
“It also continues the concentration of Labor Government yes-men in water authorities right across the north.”
Mr Hanlon will move to Coliban from his present position as chief executive of the North Central Catchment Management Authority. He was also a Government-appointee on the Foodbowl Modernisation Project Steering Committee which spawned the North South pipe concept and which supported the Labor Government’s plan to rob water from the north and pump it over the Great Dividing Range to Melbourne.
Mr Hanlon’s new boss, Coliban water chairman John Brookes, was also on the foodbowl/pipeline steering committee and has also been shuffled from one water authority to another in recent months.
“Four members of the original foodbowl steering committee have now been given plum promotions throughout the northern water industry. They are Gavin Hanlon, John Brookes, Steven Mills and Don Cummins.
“Steven Mills has gone from the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority to head up Goulburn Murray Water.
“Don Cummins has moved from Goulburn Murray Water to Goulburn Valley Water.”
Mr Drum said he had raised concerns about the stange in-house recycling of Labor’s yes-men in State Parliament and was disappointed to see by today’s announcement that nothing had changed.
“Labor has found its group who are prepared to be compliant with Labor’s outrageous water policies and who have shown they are not prepared to stand up for their communities. Labor is rewarding them with highly paid jobs.
“Sir Humphrey Appleby would have been proud of this situation.”
Media Contact: Damian Drum (03) 5443 6277
