Water crisis should not mean stealing from the environment
01 Jun 2005
The NSW Government's decision yesterday to cut environmental flows to the Hawkesbury Nepean River by 50 per cent is at odds with the Government's own Sydney Metropolitan Water Plan and is against principles agreed to in the National Water Initiative.
"This decision means that people who use the river below the dam to supply their drinking water and for recreation could be seriously affected as will the fresh water ecosystems (the water quality, the fish and life in the river)," Dr Helen Foard, WWF-Australia Freshwater Manager, said.
"The decision highlights why we need to urgently act on long term solutions - not just Sydney's current water crisis but also the crisis facing many of our urban and rural communities and water systems."
If the National Water Initiative (NWI) is implemented properly, Australia can move from this crisis management approach to long term water security solutions.
"We must be able to sustain our water requirements within the limits of our water supply while maintaining the health of the water systems that we depend on - at the moment we are failing in this," Dr Foard said.
The NSW Government's own strategy singles out the Hawkesbury Nepean as being under serious threat.
According to the NSW Government's own Water Plan:
"We have clear evidence that the health of the rivers around Sydney is under threat. The Hawkesbury-Nepean River is showing the signs of substantial environmental stress, such as weed infestation, algal blooms, and deteriorating fish production."
A key plank of the NWI is to restore water to rivers and groundwater systems to sustainable extraction levels.
"What we expect is that more water, not less, will be needed to maintain the Hawkesbury Nepean system at safe and healthy levels," Dr Foard said.
In order to qualify for funding from the $2 billion Australian Water Fund, the NSW Government will need to demonstrate it is meeting all NWI objectives, including the key aim of restoring water to rivers to sustainable levels of extraction.
"The Australian Water Fund must be strategically allocated to meet the objectives of the National Water Initiative framework so that we can know we will have healthy and reliable rivers and water supplies."
"This decision sets a very dangerous precedent across the country - we can't afford to suspened environmental and basic water quality flows in any river or aquifer let alone ones that are already stressed, " Dr Foard said.
For further information
Dr Helen Foard, WWF-Australia Freshwater Manager
Mobile: 0418 583 026
Jacqueline McArthur, WWF-Australia Communications Manager - Media
Ph: (02) 9281 5515
Mobile: 0408 626 780
Email: jmcarthur@wwf.org.au
