Page 2428 - Week 08 - Thursday, 6 June 2013
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I have outlined in the government’s response its commitment to continue to work with our key stakeholders to address the condition of Lake Burley Griffin and other urban lakes. I would like to thank the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment and his staff for this investigation. The report is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the state of the lake and other waterways and the actions needed to address their continuing health. I commend the government response to the Assembly.
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission report—government response
Paper and statement by minister
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development): For the information of members, I present the following paper:
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission Act, pursuant to section 24A—Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission—Report 6 of 2012—Secondary water use in the ACT—Final Report—Government response, dated June 2013.
I ask leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MR CORBELL: I am pleased to table the government’s response to this ICRC report. The commission’s recommendations confirm the government’s original position that this review was premature. It has also confirmed that the government’s strategies for securing long-term sustainable water supplies for the territory are working. The commission concludes that the ACT is water secure for a significant number of years.
I note that the report concludes there is a role for secondary water supply in the ACT. However, provision of this secondary water supply, where there is no pressure from storage for potable water supply, needs to be measured against tests for economic analysis so as not to impact on ACT residents’ water costs and the general development of the territory.
The government has agreed with the majority of the commission’s recommendations.
A key recommendation was that a detailed review be undertaken of all the regulations that impact on water-related development decisions, including the water-sensitive urban design general code. The government’s response agrees in part with the recommendation. Water-sensitive urban design is an issue gaining prominence across Australia as we continue to grapple with the expected impacts of climate change, population growth, liveability and security of supply. ESDD will inquire into and report on the water-sensitive urban design general code against a government objective of a 40 per cent reduction in water usage in new developments and
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