2008 QLD referendum - a deadline for disaster
04 Aug 2006
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie must show leadership on southeast Queensland water and act now on water recycling.
The Queensland Government's own forecasts show that water supplies could be at critically low levels by 2008, and delaying action on water recycling until then could have drastic economic and environmental implications.
"All Australia is watching what southeast Queensland does about its water supplies. Now is the time for Premier Beattie to commit to leading the nation on water," said Dr Stuart Blanch, Freshwater Manager, WWF-Australia.
"If the Premier ensures all the information is clearly laid out before the people and the pros and cons of all options are spelled out about each water supply option, they are more likely to support taking hard decisions, like introducing major recycling."
Richard Leck, Policy Manager at WWF-Australia said Premier Beattie must take the lead on water.
"He must not give up because of the Toowoomba referendum outcome. Recycling is the only way to solve southeast Queensland's water crisis," Mr Leck said.
WWF is calling for a $4 billion 10 year Smart Water Future Package. The current government plans propose to spend about this amount but with old technologies such as dams being the centrepiece. WWF's Smart Water Future Package includes:
- Recycling hundreds of billions of litres of water - currently just 6% is recycled
- Replacing industrial and outdoor water use with recycled water
- Subsidising rainwater tanks, or 'mini-dams', for hundreds of thousands of homes
- Saving tens of billions of litres wasted by leaky pipes - currently 11% of is lost
- Smarter water meters for all houses and flats
- Ruling out the need expensive, inefficient and damaging new dams or pipelines
"The smart money is on subsidising hundreds of thousands of 'mini-dams' - rainwater tanks for each house, setting targets for individual water use and major recycling," said Dr Blanch.
"Installation of water tanks across southeast Queensland should be an immediate priority. Tanks are a safe and effective way of reducing household and small business water consumption and, most importantly, can be rapidly rolled-out."
Find out more
Dr Stuart Blanch, Freshwater Manager, WWF-Australia
Mobile: 0427 957 868
Richard Leck, Policy Manager, WWF-Australia
Mobile: 0439 814 847
Jacqueline McArthur, Media Communications Manager, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 9281 5515
Mobile: 0408 626 780
Email: jmcarthur@wwf.org.au
