Page 4775 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 October 2010

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(3) supports the objectives of National Water Week, which occurs from 17 to 23 October 2010, to raise public awareness and improve understanding of water issues in Australia; and

(4) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) mount a public awareness campaign about permanent water conservation measures and the benefits such measures bring to the people of the ACT;

(b) in consultation with the public, conduct a review of water conservation and restriction measures to ensure such measures are contemporary to the:

(i) needs and aspirations of the community;

(ii) future growth of the ACT and the region; and

(iii) aims and objectives of the major water security projects;

(d) assess and respond to the impact of the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan on future water restrictions for the ACT; and

(e) report to the Assembly on the matters outlined in parts 4(b), (4)(c) and 4(d) by the last sitting day in June 2011.

I thank members for their indulgence in granting leave. I had not anticipated that when, again, the Canberra Liberals called for a relaxation of water restrictions, our call would be quite so effective quite so soon. I thought it was appropriate that we amended this motion to bring it up to date.

Water is an issue of most concern to people in our community. It is right up there with health, education, roads, rates, rubbish, police and security. It is something that is talked about at social gatherings and around the family dinner table every day of the year.

Why is that? Over a number of years now, water has been brought up to become a top-of-mind issue through a number of factors. The most recent of these is the proposed Murray-Darling Basin plan which has caused so much angst and uncertainty right across the basin, including the ACT. That plan, if it is implemented, will have a significant impact on the amount of water that will be available to ACT residents. The implications will be broad ranging. Will it mean permanent water restrictions? What does it do to the economic viability of the major water security projects to enlarge the Cotter Dam, build the Murrumbidgee to Googong transfer or even secure water rights from Tantangara Reservoir? What will it do to the future growth and prosperity of our city and the surrounding region? What will happen to our future food security if agriculture in the basin is stifled? How much water will we have to send down the Murrumbidgee from our storage system in the ACT? People are talking about these issues all the time.

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