Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 1 Hansard (29 April) . . Page.. 136 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The general tenor of comments made at the meeting I attended was that particularly serious steps needed to be taken to ensure that appropriate flows were maintained. Indeed, the expert advice to the commission and to the ministerial council was that if there was not above average rainfall over the six or so months of winter there would inevitably be the need for water restrictions in a number of places around the basin, including our region, in particular the Monaro, which has been perhaps harder hit than any other part of the region.

We are facing a problem which is obviously generated in large part by the seriousness of the drought but which is also going to require us to work very closely with the region in order to find sustainable solutions. All the rivers that flow through the ACT emerge from outside the ACT and leave the ACT. We have to be part of a scheme involving much of Australia in order to manage flows appropriately.

The New South Wales Government inquiry into the Snowy River and the related issues was discussed at length at the meeting. We were particularly keen to make the point that adequate flows through the Murrumbidgee, Tantangara Dam and places like that were very much of concern to the ACT. I think that we are in a position today to be able to say that, through the submission to the inquiry that the Minister spoke of, the ACT's needs and concerns will be addressed.

Mr Smyth, as the former member for Canberra, raised the question of the ACT being a member of the commission. We have now achieved that and I think it is important that we play our role on the ministerial council fully in order to press the case for responsible use of water in the basin. I think the ACT stands in a good position already. Obviously, our consumption of water for agricultural purposes is much lower than that for any other part of Australia, but that flows from the fact that we have a much smaller agricultural industry in the ACT than do other parts of Australia.

Our consumption of water for human purposes - for drinking and for urban-related purposes - is also very comparable with that for other communities in Australia and other communities in the basin. We are in a position to provide a leadership role in the responsible use of water throughout the basin. The measures that ACTEW has put in place over the last 10 years or so have put us in a good position to show other communities what responsible use of water is all about, although we have obviously some way to go yet before we can be fully satisfied that we are using water as sparingly as we can, given the nature of our continent and our weather patterns.

Mr Speaker, I support the motion. I think it is very important that the ACT put a submission to the inquiry. I also hope that at the end of that time we are in a position to press the case for a reasonable sharing of responsibility throughout the whole basin when it comes to water uses. Perhaps the most critical question in that respect is ensuring that agricultural uses do not consume water in excess of their legitimate role within the economy and the community. By that I mean that we have to look at ways of winding back on agricultural uses which are highly intensive from a water point of view but which are not contributing to the economy in a way which perhaps other less water consumptive crops might be. That, of course, is a matter which is more for other jurisdictions to worry about than us, but we have a role to play in that debate.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .