Hose your driveway this World Environment Day - 4 June 2008

“Unfortunately this is the message that the NSW Government is sending to the community this World Environment Day, by pushing ahead with their temple of water wastage – the Kurnell desalination plant,” said Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.

“In this year’s budget, they have allocated almost as much on their white elephant desal plant as they have budgeted for the entire operations of the Department of Environment and Climate Change - $886 million vs. $986 million.

“The Government leads by example when it comes to promoting the consumer ahead of the conserver society.

“Sadly if the community were to succeed in making the desal plant redundant by using less water, we would all be penalised as an idle plant will still be invoicing more than $50 million a year for 20 years. This is an incentive to consume more, not less and is symptomatic of the mindset of our leaders who, when they see the community pointing to sustainability ahead, u-turn back to consumption.

“We have the 6th largest ecological footprint in the world here in Australia, with consumption of resources in wealthier suburbs particularly rife.

“A report last year from the ACF found that ‘people living in Australia's wealthiest inner-city suburbs are responsible for more than double the amount of greenhouse pollution than households in less affluent areas, because of their high levels of consumption’.

“We won’t stop the Government’s mad plan to build a desal plant, but we can make a big difference with conscious consumption. All products require energy, water and other natural resources to produce. We can reduce our impact by buying less, wasting less, choosing products that last and being mindful of our water consumption.

“Today is also an opportunity to reflect on the opportunity cost of funding Kurnell ahead of initiatives like Red Gum National Parks along the Murray River, or effective programmes to protect the ever growing list of threatened species in NSW.

“Right now, 1046 native species, populations and ecological communities are listed as threatened with extinction in this state. This list has grown by 33 since last September. It is significant that the long-awaited Biodiversity Strategy was not mentioned in Tuesday’s budget.

Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde on 0417 742 754