Will WA be left out to dry on the National Water Initiative?
02 Jun 2005
Will WA be left out to dry on the National Water Initiative?
WWF welcomes Tasmania's commitment to sign the National Water Initiative at tomorrow's Council of Australian Governments' (CoAG) meeting.
The National Water Initiative is a blueprint to ensure the health of Australia's river and groundwater systems, to sustain rural and urban communities, and to increase productivity and efficiency of water use.
"Tasmania's signing of the NWI is great news for the State and for the country as a whole," says Dr Helen Foard, WWF's Freshwater Manager.
"If implemented properly it will secure Tasmania's water future and will ensure that proper planning will prevent the type of damage that we've seen in the Murray Darling Basin, which is costing hundreds of millions of dollars to fix."
Tasmania's commitment leaves only WA to make the National Water Initiative a truly national plan. There is still time for WA to get on board and sign the initiative at tomorrow's COAG meeting.
The WA state election earlier this year demonstrated that securing Perth's water supply is the number one issue for the State.
More than 50 per cent of Perth's fresh water comes from groundwater supply, but there is still little understanding about how much water is being taken out.
The National Water Initiative will put in place a system of water accounting and planning that will ensure that WA and all States know where their water is, how much there is, who uses it and for what purposes.
"Perth has got some huge water challenges - WA has a lot to offer and much to gain by getting on board and making the National Water Initiative a truly national plan," Dr Foard says.
For further information
Dr Helen Foard, WWF-Australia Freshwater Manager
Mobile: 0418 583 026
Jacqueline McArthur, WWF-Australia Communications Manager - Media
Phone: (02) 9281 5515
Mobile: 0408 626 780
Email: jmcarthur@wwf.org.au
