Page 253 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
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The government is improving water quality through the healthy waterways project. This involves construction of water quality infrastructure, like wetlands, ponds and rain gardens, at a total of 20 sites across the urban areas of the ACT, including the catchments of Lake Tuggeranong, Ginninderra, Yarralumla and Jerrabomberra Creek and including the project in Evatt in the member’s electorate of Yerrabi.
Construction is underway on 19 of the 20 sites, with five completed and in the final stage of operational acceptance by Transport Canberra and City Services, who will own and maintain the finished assets. Civil construction will soon finish on another nine sites, with five due to finish by the end of autumn.
The ACT healthy waterways project is on time and on budget. The resulting assets will not only play a vital role in improving the health of our waterways but also provide recreational spaces for Canberra residents to enjoy. Water in the urban landscape is also known to counter the urban heat island and reduce ambient temperatures, which is important as climate change brings hotter and longer summers.
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, why is it important to support healthy waterways?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mr Pettersson for his interest in the environment. It is very important that we protect the ACT’s waterways and we are doing this through the healthy waterways projects. We have protected our Namadgi wetlands through the listing of high country bogs and associated fens on the ACT threatened ecological communities list and we are doing it through the important role we have on the Murray-Darling Basin water ministers council. Unlike some in this place, we do not regard this work—to quote from a very interesting speech from yesterday—as preaching to either the federal or state governments.
In recent months we have seen two damning independent reports into the management of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, please! Mr Coe, Mr Hanson, Mr Wall, Mrs Jones, can you just keep it down a tad. Minister.
MR GENTLEMAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Canberrans are rightly concerned about what has been happening in the basin and they want action, and we are acting. The environment does not know jurisdictional boundaries; it is our collective responsibility to act.
If you follow the logic that Ms Lee put forward yesterday there would be no environmental protection under the Canberra Liberals and no action on climate change. As this Assembly progresses it is becoming very clear that Ms Lee is the shadow minister against the environment.
Light rail—contractors
MR HANSON: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, on talkback radio on Friday, 14 September last year you were asked about whether you were
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