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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Tuesday, 29 June 2004) . . Page.. 2905 ..

This strategy contains an extensive range of initiatives designed to meet the following six objectives:

• to provide a long-term, reliable source of water for the ACT and region;

• to increase the efficiency of water use;

• to promote the development and implementation of an integrated regional approach to the ACT-New South Wales cross-border water supply and management;

• to protect the water quality of the ACT rivers, lakes and aquifers; to maintain and enhance environmental amenity and recreational and designated use values; and to protect the health of people in the ACT and down river;

• to facilitate the incorporation of water sensitive urban design principles into urban, commercial and industrial development; and

• to promote and provide for community involvement and partnership in the management of the ACT water resources strategy.

I will remind the Assembly that in order to achieve these objectives the strategy sets key targets to focus our attention. They are:

• to reduce mains water usage per capita by 12 per cent by 2013 and by 25 per cent by 2023, achieved through water efficiency, sustainable water recycling and use of stormwater and rainwater;

• to increase the use of treated waste water from five per cent to 20 per cent by 2013;

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

• to reduce the peak flow and volume of urban stormwater flows, so that the run-off event that occurs, on average once every three months, is no larger than it was prior to the development.

This government is proud of the fact that “Think water, act water” will not only fulfil these objectives but will go further. It implements the government’s sustainability policy because it will simultaneously provide for people, protect our place and create prosperity, now and into the future. Importantly, the strategy recognises the critical importance of a secure water supply and of a high quality natural and urban environment to the future prosperity of the ACT and region. It addresses the risks and uncertainties associated with ensuring a secure water supply.

The strategy recognises our place in the Murray-Darling Basin and the need for the ACT to minimise downstream impacts, including the amount of water we take from the basin and the water quality leaving the ACT. The government has made a real commitment to the implementation of “Think water, act water” in the $8.42 million over the next four years as part of an overall commitment of $15 million to responsible water management. A strategy of this complexity and importance to the ACT requires adequate resourcing for successful implementation, and the government has ensured that this is the case.

In relation to future water supply, studies undertaken by ACTEW have short-listed three options for further detailed investigation, although a new water source may not necessarily be confined to these three options. The investigations are being designed to determine the best solution for the ACT. This solution may be a smaller version of one of

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