❓ The Minister for Water provides an update on the state government's $15 million investment to improve the health of the Geographe catchment waterways, highlighting the Vasse Taskforce's work and a strategy involving multiple stakeholders and 30 actions.
AnsweredQoN 12Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GEOGRAPHE CATCHMENT
12. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for
Water:
The Geographe catchment and
surrounding waterways are very environmentally significant for bird and fish
habitat populations and are of great importance to people living in and
visiting the region. Can the minister please update the house on the state
government's recent investment to improve the health of the region's
waterways?
12. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for
Water:
The Geographe catchment and
surrounding waterways are very environmentally significant for bird and fish
habitat populations and are of great importance to people living in and
visiting the region. Can the minister please update the house on the state
government's recent investment to improve the health of the region's
waterways?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
We had a Vasse Taskforce meeting at
the end of last year and we were very pleased to announce $15 million over four
years to address some of the long-term issues that that part of the state has
been impacted by, including foul-smelling waters in some of their estuaries,
and fish kills. As members would understand, this has built up over a long
period due to development and agricultural practices. The previous Minister for
Water and I conducted an investigation and a review and instituted the Vasse
Taskforce to bring together all the stakeholders to work together to create
solutions for some of these problems. It has taken a monumental effort from a
large range of stakeholders and they will continue to do so. Just because we
have made the announcement, it will not now go away; it will take a long time
to resolve these issues. I am very pleased to say that although I have been the
chair of the task force for the last year, I am handing over that
responsibility to the local member to continue to implement the strategy that
this group has developed over the past 12 months. I am also very pleased to say
that royalties for regions is providing nearly half of the funding for this
project. A � significant number of partner
contributions are also being made. We have skin in the game from organisations
such as the City of Busselton and North Metropolitan Region groups—there
is a whole range, showing the real commitment that everyone has to really try
to resolve some of these issues. The strategy has 30 actions including working
with farmers to reduce effluent and fertilisers going into the waterways, and
investigating options to look at the way that our river flows have been cut off
by the creation of drainage over time. Down the track it will potentially
require some reworking of some of those riverways and drainage. We are also
working very closely with Busselton Water to look at some of the innovative
ways that we can better use stormwater and wastewater recycling. These projects
will be undertaken across the whole catchment. We are right on the cusp of
something really exciting. It was very welcomed by all the stakeholders at the
end of last year. It is a $15 million investment and I am very pleased that the
local member will now take over the chairing and the responsibility for
implementing that strategy with all of our other stakeholders.
We had a Vasse Taskforce meeting at
the end of last year and we were very pleased to announce $15 million over four
years to address some of the long-term issues that that part of the state has
been impacted by, including foul-smelling waters in some of their estuaries,
and fish kills. As members would understand, this has built up over a long
period due to development and agricultural practices. The previous Minister for
Water and I conducted an investigation and a review and instituted the Vasse
Taskforce to bring together all the stakeholders to work together to create
solutions for some of these problems. It has taken a monumental effort from a
large range of stakeholders and they will continue to do so. Just because we
have made the announcement, it will not now go away; it will take a long time
to resolve these issues. I am very pleased to say that although I have been the
chair of the task force for the last year, I am handing over that
responsibility to the local member to continue to implement the strategy that
this group has developed over the past 12 months. I am also very pleased to say
that royalties for regions is providing nearly half of the funding for this
project. A � significant number of partner
contributions are also being made. We have skin in the game from organisations
such as the City of Busselton and North Metropolitan Region groups—there
is a whole range, showing the real commitment that everyone has to really try
to resolve some of these issues. The strategy has 30 actions including working
with farmers to reduce effluent and fertilisers going into the waterways, and
investigating options to look at the way that our river flows have been cut off
by the creation of drainage over time. Down the track it will potentially
require some reworking of some of those riverways and drainage. We are also
working very closely with Busselton Water to look at some of the innovative
ways that we can better use stormwater and wastewater recycling. These projects
will be undertaken across the whole catchment. We are right on the cusp of
something really exciting. It was very welcomed by all the stakeholders at the
end of last year. It is a $15 million investment and I am very pleased that the
local member will now take over the chairing and the responsibility for
implementing that strategy with all of our other stakeholders.
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