❓ Ms. Giddens asks about the Cook Labor government's initiatives to help households save water and reduce water bills, comparing them to the previous Liberal-National government. The Minister responds by highlighting the Water Corporation's waterwise programs and criticizes the opposition's climate change stance.
AnsweredQoN 607Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER CORPORATION —
WATERWISE INITIATIVES
607. Ms K.E. GIDDENS to the Minister for Water:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to relieving
cost-of-living pressures facing Western Australian households.
(1) Can the
minister explain to the house how this government is helping households to save
water and reduce the cost of their water bills?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's support compares with
that of the former Liberal–National government?
WATERWISE INITIATIVES
607. Ms K.E. GIDDENS to the Minister for Water:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to relieving
cost-of-living pressures facing Western Australian households.
(1) Can the
minister explain to the house how this government is helping households to save
water and reduce the cost of their water bills?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's support compares with
that of the former Liberal–National government?
AnswerView source ↗
�(1)–(2) I
am very pleased to be able to answer this question because, as with many other
things that the Cook Labor government is doing, we have a good story to tell
and we are proud of the work that is occurring. Members, 33 million litres of
water is how much the Water Corporation's waterwise spring offers saved
last year. There are many ways I could describe the amount of water that is
saved, but one metric is that it is 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools; it is a huge
amount of water. I thank the member for Bateman for her question. I know that
constituents in her electorate are rightly very proud of their gardens and take
their gardening very seriously. We know this is important for people who value
time in their gardens and in public places as
well. We also need to get the message across that we need people to think about
how they use water responsibly. We also know that climate change is
having a dramatic effect on rainfall, particularly across the south of our
state. We are committed to supporting families and households to reduce water
use, which has a positive benefit on the climate as well as on household bills.
This side of the chamber has heard me and other members on our side speak about
the impact of climate change before because it is not something that this
government shies away from.
Unlike the opposition, we believe in climate
change. We believe in the science and we believe in responding . Labor
has never shied away from the challenge of climate change, which is not
something members on the other side of the chamber can say. That is not just
part of the opposition's shameful past; it is also part of their
present. Just last weekend, the federal National Party spent time debating a motion
to abolish its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It is
ridiculous on so many issues—whether it is the National Party's
social policy or climate policy. A party that purports to represent farmers and
the agricultural industry should be taking
climate change seriously. We know the public wants public policy based
on science. We know that the community and industry needs certainty around this
area of public policy. Labor, the Water Corporation, and the Department of
Water and Environmental Regulation know that our water resources are precious
and that protecting them is a priority. Our message is clear: everyone has a role
to play in protecting Western Australia's water, now and in future
generations. The evidence of the challenges with our rainfall patterns are very
clear. I mentioned the declining rainfall in the south west of our state. In Western
Australia, it has fallen by 20 per cent since the 1970s, leading to an 80 per cent reduction in dam inflows. When it
comes to saving water, little changes make big, collective differences
for the climate as well as for people's hip pockets.
It is now time to talk about the
Water Corporation's spring waterwise offers. These are fantastic contributions that are available for households
across Perth and the Peel region. People can apply for free sprinkler
checks that are carried out by an endorsed waterwise irrigator. Up to 40 per cent
of domestic water is used outdoors, so installing a weather-based irrigation
controller is an easy way for households to save water and adapt to the impacts
of climate change. The controllers detect rain and automatically adjust
sprinklers to prevent overwatering and prevent people paying more than they
need to. A trial of the controller at 60 Perth homes found average water use
reduced by around 15 per cent annually, which is significant. The Water
Corporation will provide up to $300 towards the new weather-based irrigation
controller, which includes setup and installation by a waterwise service
provider. Last year, more than 3 500 households claimed this offer, with over 4
000 sprinklers replaced and over 320 leaks repaired. I am pleased to say that
regional customers do not have long to wait either with a regional office set
to be announced next month as part of our waterwise towns program. It is all
part of our plan to transform Perth and Peel into a leading waterwise city by
2030. The Water Corporation's waterwise work extends across the state
and it is making real change. A few weeks ago I joined the member for Victoria
Park to check out one of the schools participating in our waterwise schools
program in her electorate. This program is one of the longest running school
education initiatives in Western Australia, with one in seven schools
participating in the program last year. Over half the parents whose children
participated in the program said their child had shared waterwise messages at
home and 82 per cent said that their family was likely to make water-saving
changes in the next six months. Those metrics are really impressive.
Finally, I reiterate that this
government believes in the science of climate change and is responding; it is
good for the climate, it is good for households and their connection to these
important resources, and it is good for household bills. Of course, we know that
the opposition's track record in being climate sceptics is real and
continuing, and what members opposite charged households when in government.
Under the Barnett government and the former
Minister for Water who is sitting on the other side, water charges went up just under 96 per cent. In the same period
under a Labor government, charges have gone up 20.9 per cent . Similarly, the government's water
efficiency pricing model introduced in 2018–19 has resulted in
residential water users now using 1.7
gigalitres less water, saving just under $9 million in water charges for 2021–22 .
On all those metrics, we are doing well. It is a program and an outcome of
which we are proud.
am very pleased to be able to answer this question because, as with many other
things that the Cook Labor government is doing, we have a good story to tell
and we are proud of the work that is occurring. Members, 33 million litres of
water is how much the Water Corporation's waterwise spring offers saved
last year. There are many ways I could describe the amount of water that is
saved, but one metric is that it is 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools; it is a huge
amount of water. I thank the member for Bateman for her question. I know that
constituents in her electorate are rightly very proud of their gardens and take
their gardening very seriously. We know this is important for people who value
time in their gardens and in public places as
well. We also need to get the message across that we need people to think about
how they use water responsibly. We also know that climate change is
having a dramatic effect on rainfall, particularly across the south of our
state. We are committed to supporting families and households to reduce water
use, which has a positive benefit on the climate as well as on household bills.
This side of the chamber has heard me and other members on our side speak about
the impact of climate change before because it is not something that this
government shies away from.
Unlike the opposition, we believe in climate
change. We believe in the science and we believe in responding . Labor
has never shied away from the challenge of climate change, which is not
something members on the other side of the chamber can say. That is not just
part of the opposition's shameful past; it is also part of their
present. Just last weekend, the federal National Party spent time debating a motion
to abolish its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It is
ridiculous on so many issues—whether it is the National Party's
social policy or climate policy. A party that purports to represent farmers and
the agricultural industry should be taking
climate change seriously. We know the public wants public policy based
on science. We know that the community and industry needs certainty around this
area of public policy. Labor, the Water Corporation, and the Department of
Water and Environmental Regulation know that our water resources are precious
and that protecting them is a priority. Our message is clear: everyone has a role
to play in protecting Western Australia's water, now and in future
generations. The evidence of the challenges with our rainfall patterns are very
clear. I mentioned the declining rainfall in the south west of our state. In Western
Australia, it has fallen by 20 per cent since the 1970s, leading to an 80 per cent reduction in dam inflows. When it
comes to saving water, little changes make big, collective differences
for the climate as well as for people's hip pockets.
It is now time to talk about the
Water Corporation's spring waterwise offers. These are fantastic contributions that are available for households
across Perth and the Peel region. People can apply for free sprinkler
checks that are carried out by an endorsed waterwise irrigator. Up to 40 per cent
of domestic water is used outdoors, so installing a weather-based irrigation
controller is an easy way for households to save water and adapt to the impacts
of climate change. The controllers detect rain and automatically adjust
sprinklers to prevent overwatering and prevent people paying more than they
need to. A trial of the controller at 60 Perth homes found average water use
reduced by around 15 per cent annually, which is significant. The Water
Corporation will provide up to $300 towards the new weather-based irrigation
controller, which includes setup and installation by a waterwise service
provider. Last year, more than 3 500 households claimed this offer, with over 4
000 sprinklers replaced and over 320 leaks repaired. I am pleased to say that
regional customers do not have long to wait either with a regional office set
to be announced next month as part of our waterwise towns program. It is all
part of our plan to transform Perth and Peel into a leading waterwise city by
2030. The Water Corporation's waterwise work extends across the state
and it is making real change. A few weeks ago I joined the member for Victoria
Park to check out one of the schools participating in our waterwise schools
program in her electorate. This program is one of the longest running school
education initiatives in Western Australia, with one in seven schools
participating in the program last year. Over half the parents whose children
participated in the program said their child had shared waterwise messages at
home and 82 per cent said that their family was likely to make water-saving
changes in the next six months. Those metrics are really impressive.
Finally, I reiterate that this
government believes in the science of climate change and is responding; it is
good for the climate, it is good for households and their connection to these
important resources, and it is good for household bills. Of course, we know that
the opposition's track record in being climate sceptics is real and
continuing, and what members opposite charged households when in government.
Under the Barnett government and the former
Minister for Water who is sitting on the other side, water charges went up just under 96 per cent. In the same period
under a Labor government, charges have gone up 20.9 per cent . Similarly, the government's water
efficiency pricing model introduced in 2018–19 has resulted in
residential water users now using 1.7
gigalitres less water, saving just under $9 million in water charges for 2021–22 .
On all those metrics, we are doing well. It is a program and an outcome of
which we are proud.
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