The NSW Government’s plan to build a dam near Dungog in the Hunter Valley is yet another example of its obsession with big infrastructure announcements that do little to address the underlying causes of our water problems, said NSW Greens Upper House MP Ian Cohen.
“$342 million could supply an awful lot of water tanks. They could be providing water to homes and businesses in a few months rather than the ten years this dam is likely to take,” he said.
“Each water tank installed has a dual benefit. It provides water for the home or business who owns the tank, and it will do so with every bit of rain that falls. Concern about whether rain fell in the catchment would be a thing of the past.
“A hundred thousand water tanks in The Hunter and the Central Coast, which would cost less than this dam, would also hugely reduce reliance on the centralised water system.
“It is important for Government to provide major water infrastructure, but it must be geared towards reuse. It appears that this Government has learnt nothing from its desalination debacle. They also seem to have learnt nothing from the recent blaze of publicity about drought and climate change.
“The Greens will attempt, yet again, to spell it out for them. Water is a precious resource that is liable to get scarcer. It is not a luxury that can be used only once. The Premier talks about doubling capacity by building dams. Recycling water only once would achieve the same thing, and as a general rule water can be recycled many times.
“This Government must take recycling seriously. They have an opportunity in a few weeks when they respond to a report, prepared by a committee I chaired, into a sustainable water supply for Sydney.
“It appears that it may be too late for the people of the Hunter and the Central Coast. Real solutions to their water problems appear to have taken second place to the government’s need to find solutions to its political problems,” Mr Cohen said.
Further Information: Michael Hidden 9230 3305 / 0431 320 085
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