Page 3554 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 25 August 2009
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This government is not only committed to helping Canberrans reduce their use of the territory’s potable water supply but also we have in place rebate programs to assist Canberrans capture and use rainwater. The rainwater tank rebate program offers residents a rebate for the installation of rainwater tanks with an internal plumbing connection to inside the home. The rebates range from $750 for a tank of at least 2,000 litres capacity to $1,000 for a tank with a capacity of 9,000 litres or more. This program recognises the maximum benefit from installing a rainwater tank in terms of water saving and stormwater protection. They are generated when the tank water is used for purposes such as toilet flushing and clothes washing as well as for garden watering. This provides a way for tank water to replace the mains water all year round—inside the house during the cooler months when the garden does not need as much water and then outside in the garden as the warmer months come on.
While there are no additional charges or taxes on the collection of rainwater, the ACT government understands that initially there is a cost involved associated with plumbing the tank water for use inside the home. That is why the rainwater tank rebate program rewards those residents who are prepared to make the extra investment to maximise the water savings from the use of their tanks.
We also have made tools available to Canberrans to help them design their gardens and to provide advice on water management. The WaterRight Gardens web tool enables the users to explore how much water their garden needs to remain healthy and the best time to apply this water. It also helps users to understand what factors affect garden and lawn watering needs, including plants, soil, wind, shade, rains and the seasons. The tool is also supported by best practice guides for water-efficient gardening and a range of fact sheets. The Canberra plant selector also provides details on 255 plants found in Canberra gardens. The aim of these tools is to provide ACT residents with resources to assist them to implement more water-wise gardening practices.
I would like also to mention the assistance that this government is providing to the commercial sector in the territory, which represents around 20 per cent of the total annual water use in the ACT. The commercial bathroom retrofit program was launched earlier this year to provide an incentive for the commercial sector to save water. The program provides dollar-for-dollar funding from the ACT government—up to $20,000—to assist commercial property owners and managers to improve water efficiency in their buildings by purchasing water-efficient bathroom and toilet retrofitted products. Since the launch of the program in February 2009, 34 expressions of interest have been received, and some of the expressions of interest are from large property management businesses with multiple property portfolios. As well, individual meetings with property owners and/or managers are underway with a view to signing them up for the program.
A budget allocation of $600,000 over a two-year period has been approved for the program, and funding has been provided for a minimum of 15 properties per year to participate in the program. With this program, the estimated water savings are around 5,000 litres per average commercial building.
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