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weeks; the Primary treatment works by 1984; but the tunnel would take much longer, simply because of the scale of the engineering involved.

Nevertheless, we could not accept that everything was under control, as the Water Board had pretended. The urgency of the situation must be emphasised. There was an urgent need to press the Government to provide adequate funding now. As the elected representative of the people of Manly, I would lead a deputation to the Premier to put our case for priority directly to him.  

To assess the danger to public health, I called on local doctors to give useful information to the Health Commission, rather than discuss patients problems in the Media (as several had done). The condition of the water must be closely monitored, and the results made public.

In conclusion, I ridiculed Meers and his "deep shaft" scheme. Where had Mr Meers been when Askin had commissioned the search for a solution to the sewage problem? Why had no submission been made by Meers on this alternative scheme? Where were the technical experts to back up his claims? I tried to portrayed Meers as a clever lawyer who knew little about science.

Breaking from the agreed procedure, Meers dashed back for another go at the microphone.

This time he had no rehearsed lines. Full of bluster, he tried to rebut what I had said, but he had nothing new to contribute and soon ran out of steam.

Demanding a second hearing myself, I ignored my  

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