Water report shows good progress

Released 17/10/2016

The Government’s latest water report shows good news for the Territory’s water security and water quality, Director-General of the Environment and Planning Directorate, Dorte Ekelund, said today.

The report was released today as part of National Water Week.

“Canberra is Australia’s only inland capital and Canberrans are passionate about protecting their waterways. The 2014–15 ACT Water Report outlines major progress in achieving this,” Ms Ekelund said.

“In particular, progress has been made in developing a regional Catchment Management Strategy, an ACT-wide Water Resource Plan and progressing ACT Healthy Waterways (Basin Project) to improve water quality.

“Canberra is the largest and fastest growing urban centre in the Murray–Darling Basin and, as a member of the Murray–Darling Basin community, we have a serious responsibility to manage and use our water carefully.

“The Water Report outlines our actions to ensure long-term water security and to act as effective stewards of our water resources for this—and future—generations; both in our region and downstream in the Murrumbidgee and wider Murray-Darling Basin.

“It demonstrates how the government is delivering policies, programs and projects towards improving water management, water quality and a more liveable city.

“The report provides information on the planning and management of ACT water resources and how they fit into our obligations under the Murray–Darling Basin. It details the climatic events that have influenced the supply of water to the Territory as well as the quality of water in our streams and water bodies.

“Due to careful management of our water, including the community’s ongoing focus on efficient water use and support for permanent water conservation measures, the enlarging of the Cotter Dam and several wet years, we do not need to worry about water security in the short term.

“This does not mean there is room for complacency. There is much to do and we must focus on water quality. For example, our urban lakes, especially Lake Burley Griffin and Lake Tuggeranong, suffer from algal blooms during the warmer months that seriously diminish their amenity for users and nearby residents.

“The report outlines the actions being taken to address water quality which are founded on the best available science,” Ms Ekelund said.

It contains the following highlights:

• The ACT community continued to use water resources efficiently.
• Seven of the 18 priority actions for the first phase of the ACT Water Strategy 2014–44: Striking the Balance have been completed.
• The ACT has fulfilled its commitments under the Living Murray Initiative to provide 2 gigalitres of high security water to the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.
• Legislation was passed handing over the responsibility for managing water extractions from Lake Burley Griffin from the Australian Government to the ACT Government.
• A draft regional Catchment Management Strategy was prepared to improve coordination, cooperation and collaboration in addressing cross-border catchment management challenges across the ACT and region incorporating the Upper Murrumbidgee River.
• The ACT reached—and is maintaining—water use within its 2019 Murray–Darling Basin water sustainable diversion limits.

- Statement ends -

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