Page 4202 - Week 11 - Thursday, 17 Sept 2009
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consider alternative options to complete the wind-down, including extending the existing management contract agreement or possibly engaging another leasing company to manage down the remaining leases on a fee-for-service basis.
The Actew statement of corporate intent articulates its strategic direction and the various activities that it considers to be high priority. These activities include implementing a diversified portfolio of water supply options for the territory with a view to improving the security of supply. I will speak later on the particular projects that make up that activity.
Actew also intends to implement carbon abatement strategies to minimise and offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with the water security projects. Actew will continue to manage the permanent water conservation measures and temporary water restrictions, and will review those measures and restrictions in light of the prevailing drought conditions and what we can expect in the future.
Actew will be working with government towards further reductions in per capita mains water usage and in the review of the think water, act water strategy. Water supply catchment management activities will be undertaken to ensure water quality is protected and the governance and administrative arrangements around those catchments will be reviewed in conjunction with government.
As I alluded to in previous comments, Actew’s top priority is to improve future water security for the territory in the face of persistent drought and climate change. Actew has recently finalised costs for the three main water security infrastructure projects that have been agreed by the government.
The costs to complete each of these important infrastructure projects are $363 million to enlarge Cotter Dam, $150 million to pipe water from the Murrumbidgee River to store in the Googong reservoir and $38 million to transfer water to the ACT from the Snowy Mountains via the Tantangara reservoir.
The statement of corporate intent does not include these final costs as this information was not available when the statement was being finalised by the Actew board. Collectively, these projects represent the largest infrastructure projects undertaken in the territory since self-government.
In addition to these water supply security projects, Actew will also be undertaking a strategic review of the sewerage system to maximise the capacity of the existing network and to look at the latest best practice standards and industry directions in this essential service. The work will continue too on investigating the means by which think water, act water targets for the use of recycled water can best be achieved.
Environmental priorities include the protection of the endangered and threatened fish species in the Cotter reservoir and river as well as working with the Environmental Protection Authority to ascertain appropriate environmental flow conditions in our waterways. Significant environmental monitoring and reporting activities surrounding the territory’s waterways and reservoirs will also continue to be a priority for Actew.
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