Page 3302 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 October 2022
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Ministerial arrangements
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism) (2.00): Minister Gentleman is absent from question time today due to illness. As was the case in his last absence, Minister Steel will assist on planning, police, emergency services and corrections questions, and I will assist on industrial relations and workplace safety questions.
Questions without notice
Fadden—Healthy Waterways project
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction. Earlier this month at the Tuggeranong Community Council there was a presentation from the directorate about the Healthy Waterways stage 2 projects, with 13 new structures proposed to be built, based on theory and computer model default parameters, rather than on actual recent data. Hence, they may not achieve the outcomes expected and required. One of the projects mentioned was the construction of four mini rain gardens in Fadden, in the green space and walkway behind Dash Crescent, McPhail Place, Bow Place and Ogden Close, leading down towards Fadden Primary School oval. Minister, why are you building more water quality assets when, to use your own words, you don’t yet have evaluation reports of the stage 1 projects?
MR RATTENBURY: As Ms Lawder well knows, a significant amount of research has been done for the ACT government by the University of Canberra, particularly on the Tuggeranong catchment and how to improve water quality in Lake Tuggeranong. I know that both Mr Davis, in particular, and Ms Lawder are very passionate advocates for that, because of the difficulties that we have had with Lake Tuggeranong. As I have explained here before, that research has shown that we need to intervene higher up the catchment, so to speak. Rather than simply building large assets and filtration points, intervening closer to the source is really effective. So these projects are part of that research, that understanding and that attempt to improve water quality in Tuggeranong.
MS LAWDER: Minister, how many houses were letterboxed in the area about the Fadden rain gardens proposal?
MR RATTENBURY: I am afraid I do not know that off the top of my head, but I will take it on notice and provide Ms Lawder with the details as quickly as I can.
MR PARTON: Minister, what community education components are included in stage 2 of Healthy Waterways?
MR RATTENBURY: There are a number. Stage 1 is very much about physical assets. Stage 2, based on research that has been done for the government by the University of Canberra, has clearly pointed to issues of community action being an important part of improving water quality. What has been identified, for example, is that we now know that eucalyptus leaves lying in gutters, as well as deciduous leaves, can become a significant source of nutrients in the system. With the rain, as the nutrients leach out they flow into the system. That is where things like the Leaf
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