Page 3696 - Week 12 - Thursday, 25 November 2021
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of phosphorus. This is reducing the level of gross pollutants, sediment and nutrients entering the ACT’s lakes and waterways.
The Healthy Waterways program is demonstrating important outcomes. In 2021-22 we are investing a further $7.5 million to continue this program, and this includes $1.6 million of capital works. An example of the innovative work delivered through this program is the floating wetland that was installed in Lake Tuggeranong earlier this year. It will contribute to improving water quality and reduce the appearance of blue-green algal blooms.
Five more water quality assets will be built under the Healthy Waterways program this financial year, including three bioretention swales which will be put in place by March 2022 to prevent nutrients entering stormwater from the Kambah playing fields, and two floating wetlands that will be deployed by April 2022 to improve water quality in Yerrabi Pond.
The new investment in the Healthy Waterways program is also being used to continue research, develop innovative technology and conduct catchment planning to inform infrastructure placement and education programs that best target the source of pollution entering our freshwater lakes and ponds.
It is important to recognise that investment in these water catchment management activities and water security planning is the intended purpose of the water abstraction charge which all Canberrans contribute to in their water use fees. The revenue from this water charge is to ensure that we can maintain a healthy environment and provide for a secure water city.
In summary, water security and water quality are critical to the health and wellbeing of all life, and a concerted effort to conserve this precious source and improve its quality is why the government is continuing to invest in Healthy Waterways water efficiency initiatives, water governance review and policy development, in partnership with community and regional stakeholders.
I did note the observations made by Ms Castley earlier in the debate on a number of these areas. I welcome her significant interest in these topics. I am intrigued by her approach. She does of course represent a party in this place that did not take a climate change policy to the election, did not have a policy on electric vehicles, did not have a policy on energy efficiency, did not have a policy on adaptation, and did not have a policy on emissions reduction.
The commentary here is very welcome; there is now some engagement. It does feel like the true definition of a Monday expert, coming in here to appropriate the somewhat infamous line of telling us how the game was lost and how it could have been won. But I do welcome the engagement. I think some of it is not accurate. I think some of it is unfair on the work that has already been done, on the people who are seeking to roll it out. Nonetheless, those projects are being developed and they have delivered significant emissions reductions and now will continue to deliver emissions reductions.
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