Page 3163 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 October 2006
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I have other charts that were provided to me by the parliamentary secretary that show a dramatic fall in rainfall levels primarily in the populated areas of Australia. Some of the highest recordings of rainfall are in the least populated areas of the country. In one of these charts, which have been prepared by the bureau of meteorology, the lowest on record figures have been recorded in significant areas across eastern Australia, in parts of eastern Tasmania and on the fringes of Western Australia. Some of the highest on record rainfalls have been achieved in parts of the Northern Territory and in northern Western Australia.
The problem basically is that the rain is not falling in the populated areas; it is dramatically down, and governments and cities must take into account these changing weather patterns. Whatever debate might be out there about their cause, the fact is that things are getting hotter and the rainfall will not provide us with the resources we need to service our communities. We must ensure that we are relying on contemporary science. I guess basically I am encouraging the territory government to submit to the National Office of Water Resources material that is related to our future water needs, especially the assumptions on further requirements and infrastructure, to ensure this data is as accurate and up to date as possible.
Whilst I realise that there is a high level of expertise available to the ACTEW Corporation, I do not believe that we can ever be too thorough in confirming projections and understanding what the likely requirements will be for this territory in the period ahead. If we get it wrong, there will be terrible consequences for our population. It will inhibit growth in this community and will not be well received by the people of Canberra.
I asked Mr Turnbull if his officers were willing to provide that service to the territory. They were very positive and indicated that they will be responsible if that approach is taken by the territory. They indicated that they would be happy to review the material and, if necessary, work with the ACT to ensure that the water policy of the territory is based on the best available data that is available and examined by the best minds available, both at the commonwealth and territory level. This is an indication of the level of cooperation that I believe is necessary to ensure that the ACT secures a sustainable source of water, and I certainly encourage the government to explore this option.
Another element must be considered in developing water policy in the ACT. It is the need to balance water conservation with increases in tariffs and abstraction charges. I publicly welcomed yesterday the prudent measure of water restrictions in the current climate. I think it would be foolish to do otherwise, given the data that I am citing here, and I am confident that the people of Canberra will once again respond quite positively to the need to conserve water in a period of dry weather and low water inflows. However, I do repeat my call that this level of responsibility must be matched by ACTEW and, ultimately, the territory’s government.
I will comment briefly in a moment on the appropriate use of dividends received for water, but I wish to say simply that the people of Canberra should not be gouged with further increased prices for water and abstraction charges to compensate for the reduced consumption which they are observing at the request of their government. The people of the ACT should not be punished for conserving water in a time of shortages by a cash-
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