Canberrans made sure they got a Rolls Royce water supply despite loony-toon proposals over a decade ago to desal seawater on the NSW coast and pipe it uphill to Canberra. Idea driven by then Chief Minister Stanhope. Fortunately engineers persuaded the anti-dam greenleft pollies to go the route of an enlarged Cotter Dam - plus they have a pipeline from the south that can transfer Murrumbidgee river water to Canberrans.
