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Dargo Needs To Better Water System: HallDargo should be regarded as a town of special need and provided with a reticulated treated water and waste water system, according to Gippsland MP, Peter Hall. By The Nationals - 16th February 2007 - Back to News In Parliament this week, The Nationals’ MP pointed out that water supply is at the top of the list of issues for people in the Dargo area.
Mr Hall visited the area this month to inspect the bushfire-affected areas and speak to local residents.
"At the top of their list was water quality," Mr Hall told Parliament. "Currently the community have to rely on either pumping their water directly from the local river, or they rely totally on rain tanks for their water.
"As a result of the fires the river has become heavily polluted, particularly with ash and sludge from the fires and with dead animals in the water. For those people who rely on rain tanks for their water, those tanks are largely empty.
"The tanks that have collected a little bit of rain since the fires have also been contaminated with a lot of ash that has run directly into those tanks. Consequently water quality in the township of Dargo is of real concern."
Mr Hall said there were many water users in Dargo.
"It has a local hotel, a tavern and a winery. There is also a school, a general store, caravan park and a motel; there is a Department of Sustainability and Environment centre, a bush nursing centre and about 50 privately-owned houses. Each of those are relying on the collection of their own water supply."
The recent fires are the second time in the last few years that Dargo has been subject to bushfires, with the town also under siege during the 2002/2003 Alpine bushfires.
"The best thing the government could do to help Dargo recover from the fire is to assist them in improving water quality.
"My request to the Treasurer in his capacity as chairman of the ministerial task force on bushfire recovery is for the government to provide the up-front capital funding required to put in place reticulated treated water and waste water system for the township of Dargo."
Mr Hall said initial inquiries showed that the cost could be up to $5 million.
"However, if we are going to assist these small communities, then that is the sort of assistance they require from the government."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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