Page 2106 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 2 August 2016
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There will be 25 priority water quality projects constructed across six catchments in the ACT as a result of receiving this funding. The projects are allocated across a range of catchments and I would like to outline those to members.
The Tuggeranong catchment will see nine projects, with a value of $27 million. The Tuggeranong catchment is a particular priority because of the poor water quality in places like Lake Tuggeranong. I am very pleased that a significant amount of the basin priority project money will be delivered to the Tuggeranong Valley.
The Fyshwick catchment will see six projects with a value of $15.9 million. The Yarralumla Creek catchment, which of course traverses the Woden Valley to the lower Molonglo, will see five projects worth $16.3 million. There will be two projects worth $6.5 million in the west Belconnen catchment. There will be two projects worth $3.4 million in the upper Molonglo catchment, and there will be one project worth $9.6 million in the lower Molonglo catchment.
All of these projects are designed to improve water quality in our city’s and our region’s waterways and lakes. They will help to reduce the level of sediment, nutrients and other pollutants and they will also help with better public education and further in-lake research in lakes like Lake Tuggeranong, as well as ongoing water quality and monitoring. Combined, they are designed to make sure that we see an improvement in water quality in our lakes and waterways.
The projects will include new constructed wetlands, new ponds, off-line ponds along waterways, rain gardens, creek restoration works, new swales and gross pollutant traps and the further investigation of the use of stormwater for irrigation in certain locations.
Right now we are proceeding to commence community consultation on the detailed construction proposals for these projects—the 25 water quality projects across the six catchments I have mentioned—and that will inform the development application and approval process which will see these projects start construction next year. It is a great outcome, I believe, to improve water quality across the ACT’s lakes and waterways.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Burch.
MS BURCH: Minister, can you provide more detail to the Assembly of the projects, in particular for the Lake Tuggeranong catchment?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Burch for her supplementary. Water quality in Lake Tuggeranong is of particular concern and I know that Ms Burch and other colleagues from the Tuggeranong Valley have consistently advocated the importance of improving water quality in the Lake Tuggeranong catchment. That is why we will see a very significant investment, $25 million worth of investment approximately, in Lake Tuggeranong. The projects will focus on addressing the high nutrient levels in Lake Tuggeranong which are a result of stormwater runoff from the surrounding urban area. Of course when we see those very high nutrient levels we see consistent algal blooms and associated overs and other amenity concerns.
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