❓ The Minister for Water Resources addresses concerns about Perth's water supply amidst the driest winter on record, highlighting government initiatives like desalination and recycling, and praising community cooperation with water restrictions to avoid stricter measures seen in other cities.
AnsweredQoN 576Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER SUPPLY - PERTH
Will the minister please update the house about Perth’s water supply situation? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
Will the minister please update the house about Perth’s water supply situation? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question, which is very opportune on the last day of the driest winter on record. In 1940 the winter rainfall was 260 millimetres. The final figures for this winter may vary officially but they are something like 230 millimetres. This means rainfall this winter is substantially below that of the driest winter on record and to date this is the driest year on record. This is clearly further evidence of the impact of climate change and reduced rainfall in the south west of Western Australia. We are fortunate that the current government has taken a whole range of steps to try to make sure that we can have the most secure supply of water possible. The decision to build the desalination plant, which will become operational within the next couple of months, the utilisation of a whole range of other sources, which have been brought on in the past five years, and the recycling of water, mean that we are placed to be able to continue through the coming summer, hopefully, without any change to the current watering restrictions. That matter will be assessed over the next couple of months, but all indicators are that we will be able to continue with the current regime. One thing that has been put in place and has been clearly welcomed by people is the regime of sprinkler restrictions and seeking to have people use water as efficiently as possible. The overwhelming bulk of the community has joined in that campaign and is giving it very strong support. With that continued support from the community to use water wisely, to stick to the restrictions and to make sure that water is not wasted, we will be in a very strong position to ensure that during the coming summer we will not have to go - as they have in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - into a much severer form of restrictions, under which people may not be able to water their gardens at all. It is a very difficult situation, but I think that the whole community recognises that. With the actions taken by the community and the government, we will be able to see the next summer through in the way that we have seen summers through in the past few years.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for her question, which is very opportune on the last day of the driest winter on record. In 1940 the winter rainfall was 260 millimetres. The final figures for this winter may vary officially but they are something like 230 millimetres. This means rainfall this winter is substantially below that of the driest winter on record and to date this is the driest year on record. This is clearly further evidence of the impact of climate change and reduced rainfall in the south west of Western Australia. We are fortunate that the current government has taken a whole range of steps to try to make sure that we can have the most secure supply of water possible. The decision to build the desalination plant, which will become operational within the next couple of months, the utilisation of a whole range of other sources, which have been brought on in the past five years, and the recycling of water, mean that we are placed to be able to continue through the coming summer, hopefully, without any change to the current watering restrictions. That matter will be assessed over the next couple of months, but all indicators are that we will be able to continue with the current regime. One thing that has been put in place and has been clearly welcomed by people is the regime of sprinkler restrictions and seeking to have people use water as efficiently as possible. The overwhelming bulk of the community has joined in that campaign and is giving it very strong support. With that continued support from the community to use water wisely, to stick to the restrictions and to make sure that water is not wasted, we will be in a very strong position to ensure that during the coming summer we will not have to go - as they have in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - into a much severer form of restrictions, under which people may not be able to water their gardens at all. It is a very difficult situation, but I think that the whole community recognises that. With the actions taken by the community and the government, we will be able to see the next summer through in the way that we have seen summers through in the past few years.
I thank the member for her question, which is very opportune on the last day of the driest winter on record. In 1940 the winter rainfall was 260 millimetres. The final figures for this winter may vary officially but they are something like 230 millimetres. This means rainfall this winter is substantially below that of the driest winter on record and to date this is the driest year on record. This is clearly further evidence of the impact of climate change and reduced rainfall in the south west of Western Australia. We are fortunate that the current government has taken a whole range of steps to try to make sure that we can have the most secure supply of water possible. The decision to build the desalination plant, which will become operational within the next couple of months, the utilisation of a whole range of other sources, which have been brought on in the past five years, and the recycling of water, mean that we are placed to be able to continue through the coming summer, hopefully, without any change to the current watering restrictions. That matter will be assessed over the next couple of months, but all indicators are that we will be able to continue with the current regime. One thing that has been put in place and has been clearly welcomed by people is the regime of sprinkler restrictions and seeking to have people use water as efficiently as possible. The overwhelming bulk of the community has joined in that campaign and is giving it very strong support. With that continued support from the community to use water wisely, to stick to the restrictions and to make sure that water is not wasted, we will be in a very strong position to ensure that during the coming summer we will not have to go - as they have in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - into a much severer form of restrictions, under which people may not be able to water their gardens at all. It is a very difficult situation, but I think that the whole community recognises that. With the actions taken by the community and the government, we will be able to see the next summer through in the way that we have seen summers through in the past few years.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for her question, which is very opportune on the last day of the driest winter on record. In 1940 the winter rainfall was 260 millimetres. The final figures for this winter may vary officially but they are something like 230 millimetres. This means rainfall this winter is substantially below that of the driest winter on record and to date this is the driest year on record. This is clearly further evidence of the impact of climate change and reduced rainfall in the south west of Western Australia. We are fortunate that the current government has taken a whole range of steps to try to make sure that we can have the most secure supply of water possible. The decision to build the desalination plant, which will become operational within the next couple of months, the utilisation of a whole range of other sources, which have been brought on in the past five years, and the recycling of water, mean that we are placed to be able to continue through the coming summer, hopefully, without any change to the current watering restrictions. That matter will be assessed over the next couple of months, but all indicators are that we will be able to continue with the current regime. One thing that has been put in place and has been clearly welcomed by people is the regime of sprinkler restrictions and seeking to have people use water as efficiently as possible. The overwhelming bulk of the community has joined in that campaign and is giving it very strong support. With that continued support from the community to use water wisely, to stick to the restrictions and to make sure that water is not wasted, we will be in a very strong position to ensure that during the coming summer we will not have to go - as they have in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - into a much severer form of restrictions, under which people may not be able to water their gardens at all. It is a very difficult situation, but I think that the whole community recognises that. With the actions taken by the community and the government, we will be able to see the next summer through in the way that we have seen summers through in the past few years.
I thank the member for her question, which is very opportune on the last day of the driest winter on record. In 1940 the winter rainfall was 260 millimetres. The final figures for this winter may vary officially but they are something like 230 millimetres. This means rainfall this winter is substantially below that of the driest winter on record and to date this is the driest year on record. This is clearly further evidence of the impact of climate change and reduced rainfall in the south west of Western Australia. We are fortunate that the current government has taken a whole range of steps to try to make sure that we can have the most secure supply of water possible. The decision to build the desalination plant, which will become operational within the next couple of months, the utilisation of a whole range of other sources, which have been brought on in the past five years, and the recycling of water, mean that we are placed to be able to continue through the coming summer, hopefully, without any change to the current watering restrictions. That matter will be assessed over the next couple of months, but all indicators are that we will be able to continue with the current regime. One thing that has been put in place and has been clearly welcomed by people is the regime of sprinkler restrictions and seeking to have people use water as efficiently as possible. The overwhelming bulk of the community has joined in that campaign and is giving it very strong support. With that continued support from the community to use water wisely, to stick to the restrictions and to make sure that water is not wasted, we will be in a very strong position to ensure that during the coming summer we will not have to go - as they have in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - into a much severer form of restrictions, under which people may not be able to water their gardens at all. It is a very difficult situation, but I think that the whole community recognises that. With the actions taken by the community and the government, we will be able to see the next summer through in the way that we have seen summers through in the past few years.
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