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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5277 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

occur and for long distances downstream. The ACT has shown its commitment to protecting its streams with an extensive system of river corridor nature reserves to protect these important areas. We have this long list of achievements, but the government is not satisfied to rest with these achievements. With the drought and current water restrictions we can all see how important water is to our community. The government will continue the environmental and health water quality protection programs, working with the community to meet the aim of the same or better quality for water leaving the ACT as that entering.

Managing water requires the combined efforts of everyone in the community. To make progress, we need to have a clear direction with targets to aim for. These have been set by the draft water policy Water ACT, which I was pleased to release in July. The targets in the water strategy include: by 2013 reduce potable water use by 12 per cent and increase the use of reclaimed water to 20 per cent; by 2023 reduce potable water use by 25 per cent, reduce the intensity of urban stormwater flows in all new developments and significant redevelopments so that run-off from "one in three month"rainfall events is no more than predevelopment size, and ensure that the level of nutrients and sediment entering ACT waterways is no greater than that entering from a well-managed rural landscape. We can only make improvements if the whole community embraces a direction and the actions set to achieve the direction.

The targets from Water ACT, which I have mentioned, have been suggested to the community. Following feedback, the targets will be finalised as the direction for all of us. The targets are the basis for the ACT water resources strategy which was launched in November and is based on the views expressed by the community at focus groups, community group meetings, events and a water summit. It is a well-structured approach which so far has resulted in very positive feedback from across the Canberra community.

The water resources strategy for sustainable water resource management provides the holistic approach needed for water management in the ACT. It contains 32 actions in the implementation plan, aimed at addressing a range of issues, including: dealing with climate change and the impacts of the bushfires; implementing water efficiency measures to make better use of our existing water supplies; using water sensitive urban design to ensure new developments and redevelopments have as little impact on our environment as possible; upgrading our catchment management activity to better manage the Cotter catchment which is much more fragile after the bushfires; ensuring that all of our riparian zones are well managed; and using education and community partnerships to ensure that we achieve sustainable water management in the ACT.

The ACT government has proposed in the draft strategy a wide range of very practical measures to address water use efficiency to assist Canberrans to contribute to improved water use and management in the home, garden and workplaces-measures such as rebates or incentives for water efficient products, such as an AAA showerhead rebate, following the successful rebate program offered by the government in 2003.

While the government has stated its desire to defer building a new dam as long as possible, it has also recognised the need to consider future water supply options should water efficiency actions proposed not be able to save enough water to avoid a new supply. Actew Corporation has been tasked with determining a short list of options by the end of 2004. Over the following year, Actew will undertake studies and work with

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