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Green Paper a significant step in sustainable water use: IngramIn his recent submission to the State Government’s "Green Paper", the Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, said the document was a significant step in addressing many areas of concern in water management and sustainable water use. By Craig Ingram - 9th December 2003 - Back to News "In my submission, whilst endorsing the majority of the proposals and the general direction of the Green Paper, I have outlined areas of disagreement and concern," Mr Ingram said.
"One of the greatest challenges both in rural and metro areas is changing the water use culture from the ingrained European ideals.
"There is also significant scope to reduce Melbourne’s water use above the current proposals. This would allow greater savings and return of environmental water to the Thomson.
"There are major benefits from investment in the efficiencies of the Macalister system and I have stated in the report that the long term aim should be piping the entire district
"The Gippsland community will not support the use of Melbourne’s waste water as environmental flows.
"This is a disgraceful condescending city attitude that the country and Gippsland is the dumping ground for Melbourne.
"Some of the following proposals may be under consideration by government, but I believe that the Green Paper should have been stronger in its commitment to the consideration of these proposals:
· investments in water reuse technology to re-divert treated waste water back into the city and use in a range of lower-grade water uses;
· removing of the practice of watering median strips and a range of other ornamental grassed areas with potable water;
· The Green Paper should have at least considered the investment in the use of treated waste water for supplementing the potable water system.
"It is clear from international examples that with the proper treatment we can safely use reclaimed water for potable use and this should be considered by the State Government.
"There is significant confusion in the community on the precise roles and responsibilities of the different agencies within the water and catchment management sector.
"I have opposed the amalgamation of the two CMA’s and believe that a formal recognition of a forum of the combined agencies similar to the already formed Gippsland Lakes Task Force with clearly defined roles and responsibilities would achieve more without the potential of alienation of sections of the community.
"CMA’s need to justify themselves as a separate entity, independent of the other government land management agencies and not just be a duplication of the functions of the DSE/ DPI.
"The impact of the diversion of the Snowy and Thomson rivers should send a clear message to governments that there should be no more inter-basin transfers of water except that to return environmental water back to the original catchments.
"Our current reliance on drainage systems to remove the waste from urban and agriculture lands has to be reconsidered.
"The major investment required to fix the crumbling infrastructure of the irrigation, domestic and waste water systems in Victoria is extremely prohibitive and would be unlikely to be able to be adequately funded by governments.
"I believe that the solution to funding is to establish a superannuation trust fund which is government guaranteed and (through a COAG agreement), legislate to require a percentage of all contributions to Australian super funds be spent on repairing and replacing irrigation systems. This would generate the funds required to fix the system.
"I have also said that government needs to address the management of river frontages with the aim of exclusion of stock from river frontages. To achieve this would require two contributions from government:
· A government commitment to assist land holders in providing ongoing resources to manage fenced frontages, including the control of pest plants and animals; and
· The one-off commitment of assistance through grants to landholders in providing off-river stock watering systems.
"The continued development of broad scale pine plantations is having a considerable impact on the environment and on the social structure and the economic integrity of small rural districts.
"This issue is currently very real in the Tubbut, Deddick and Bonang areas in my electorate where the pine plantation industry is acquiring land and developing plantations in a major push before governments introduce controls.
"The government should impose a moratorium on any further development in the Snowy Catchment until the issues of water licences for plantations are resolved.
"I proposed two major shifts in investment in funding of water savings for environmental flows:
· An efficiency dividend to invest in improving on-farm irrigation efficiency for environmental water. By the provision of up-front grants and a five-year binding contract with farmers to improve irrigation efficiency. This would allow farmers to invest up-front in the necessary on-farm infrastructure and would have major benefits to the environment and the productivity of the land.
· Close down unsustainable areas. areas that have major salinity problems will be destroyed by salinity in the median term and the government should identify those areas that are at major risk and make the necessary changes before it is too late.
"Long term improvement in water and river health will require major investment from government in both infrastructure and river hea
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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