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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (26 November) . . Page.. 4669 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

to reduce potable water use by 12 per cent by 2013 and by 25 per cent by 2023

to increase the use of reclaimed water from the current 5 per cent to 20 per cent by 2013

to reduce the intensity of urban stormwater flows in all new developments and significant redevelopments, so that runoff from "one in three month"rainfalls is no more than it was before development

to ensure that the level of nutrients and sediment entering ACT waterways is no greater than that entering from a well-managed rural landscape.

In terms of providing a long-term, reliable source of water for the ACT and region, the strategy makes the point that water for our future needs can be obtained by building new water infrastructure or by reducing our per capita mains water use, or a combination of both. Analysis indicates that implementing water use efficiency measures first is the most cost-effective option for Canberra. That goes without saying. However, a range of water supply options are currently being considered by Actew, in case water use efficiency measures are not able to save enough water to avoid creating a new water supply.

Significant work is being done by Actew in relation to that and they hope to have a report to the government about that by the end of the year, contrary to claims and statements that the shadow minister for environment has been making about that. There have been quite misleading and wrong statements made about the extent to which the government is dealing with the issue of identifying possible new water supplies.

The strategy recognises that risk management in the Cotter and the Googong water supply catchments is more important than ever, particularly in view of the severe drought and the January bushfires. We have to face a whole range of issues as the result of the combination of the drought and the fires in relation to the damage to the catchment and even, as we see this week, in relation to turbidity, which has once again become a factor within the Cotter catchment as a result of runoff across denuded parts of the catchment. A whole range of issue arises out of that by itself. These are significant issues for us to deal with.

The strategy also outlines a number of measures through which the community can join with the government in meeting the targets that we have established within the policy.

Australia Day in the National Capital Inc

MR STEFANIAK: My question is addressed to the Chief Minister, as he is representing the minister for the arts, Mr Wood. Yesterday, Mr Wood told the Assembly that he had axed funding for the Australia Day in the National Capital because, he said, "it seems to me that to run two concerts on two nights is not a good idea". He repeated these apparently inaccurate claims in the media.

Australia Day in the National Capital advised the opposition that it applied for funding for a picnic in the park event on the afternoon of Australia Day. There would be entertainment provided by local community groups-about eight of them-supported by Sirocco, but the main focus of the event was a community picnic followed by fireworks. This is in contrast to the National Capital Authority's Australian of the Year ceremony on Australia Day eve, featuring the naming of the Australian of the Year indoors, with

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