In October 2015, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported, citing a draft water outlook leaked via Fairfax Media, that the Australian state of Victoria was weighing whether to switch on its A$4 billion (US$2.93 billion) desalination plant. Parts of the state faced their driest spell on record. Environment minister Lisa Neville confirmed work on a water grid plan that included the plant. Cairn Curran storage had dropped from 60% to 30% within a year. Even on standby, the plant cost about A$1.8 million per day.
The report showed how a plant built in one drought and then kept on standby became a reserve option in the next dry period, with high fixed costs shaping the decision.