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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 727 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

I would like to emphasise at the start that I hope that the jet ski issue has now been sunk, well and truly. Jet skis are not appropriate on any of our ACT lakes. Their use would endanger the safety of people who swim in and sail and paddle on those lakes, cause erosion and damage to the lake edges, interfere with aquatic and birdlife on the lake, generate unacceptable noise impacts on the surrounding areas, and pollute the environment from exhaust emissions and fuel discharges. It should be noted also that there are no licensing mechanisms in place for the operation of jet skis. We are greatly concerned that people under the age of 17 who could not get a licence to drive a car on the road can hop on a jet ski, or could under this proposal, without restriction and ride on the lake without any comprehensive training.

I think this Government should reject any proposal to lessen the current restrictions on the use of power boats on all ACT lakes. While the proposal for the jet ski operation on Lake Tuggeranong has been stopped, there is already some talk of a trial on Lake Ginninderra. Permission for a waterskiing competition on Lake Burley Griffin was not granted recently, for very sensible reasons. We obviously would oppose any jet ski proposal on any of our lakes. Jet ski use is not the only issue faced by our waterways. There is a range of other issues that I want to raise today regarding the threats to our water systems. Historically, Canberra's lakes and waterways were designed and managed to fulfil a range of functions - as central aesthetic features of Canberra's planning, as major recreational facilities for the Canberra community, both on water and in adjacent open space areas, and for conservation of river edge and aquatic ecosystems. Other functions are water supply and control of pollution and sediment from built-up areas entering the Murrumbidgee River. To date the activities on our lakes have been compatible. The introduction of motor craft is absolutely uncomplementary to the other activities that currently go on.

The Greens are pleased that the Territory Plan, despite all its inadequacies, has given special consideration to the management of the ACT's water resources. There is also the Water Pollution Act through which the Government can control the discharge of pollution into our waterways. The Territory Plan contains noble principles, such as that planning for land and water resources will be integrated on total catchment management principles, and planning will be guided by principles of ecological sustainability and exclude catchment land and water uses which impact on the sustainability of designated environmental and water use values. The Greens fully concur with these objectives. We are concerned, however, about how well the policies, regulations and associated guidelines developed by the ACT Government to give effect to these objectives are being implemented and enforced.

One of the significant problems that we are concerned about is that there are inadequate controls over the extraction of ground water in the ACT. We know that over 600 bores have been drilled in the ACT, and there are no restrictions on the amount of water that these bores use. Water quality in the Murrumbidgee River downstream from the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre to the Burrinjuck Reservoir is an ongoing problem in terms of regular outbreaks of algal blooms. There is a potential for tragic consequences from the regular outbreaks of blue-green algae in stormwater control ponds in Tuggeranong which are also used as recreational facilities by local residents.

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