❓ Hon. Moore questions the Water Corporation's implementation of two-day watering restrictions despite the Minister's lack of direct instruction. Hon. Griffiths explains the regime's origin and success in water conservation.
AnsweredQoN 1643Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Last week the minister advised the House that he has not directed the Water Corporation to implement the two day a week watering restrictions. In view of this, can the minister advise the House why the Water Corporation is implementing the two day a week watering restrictions and why it is not allowing an extra day of watering? Hon NICK GRIFFITHS
AnswerView source ↗
The Water Corporation has received only one direction in its history, and that was on the disposal of assets to the south west irrigators. With regard to the two day a week sprinkler regime, when I was provided by His Excellency the Governor with the ministerial responsibility for the Water Corporation in July 2001, I conferred with the then Chairman of the Water Corporation, Hon Peter Jones, and the managing director, Dr Jim Gill, and I raised a concern about the state of the dams, noting that it did not seem to be raining very much at that time. We had a discussion about that matter, and I asked for options that would enable employment levels not to be harmed but at the same time water use to be conserved. As a result of those discussions, the two day a week sprinkler regime emerged as a serious option. That option was endorsed by the Government, and it came into operation in, I think, the first week of September 2001. The Leader of the Opposition has been putting forward a proposition, I gather, that that regime be modified. It is a strongly held view within the Water Corporation, and it is a view that I share, that the two day a week sprinkler regime has been very well received by the people of Western Australia, and it has been very successful in minimising the use of water. If we were to open it up to, say, three days a week, the water usage would probably be an extra 15 gigalitres a year. However, it might give rise to a water usage by the people of Western Australia that exceeded 15 gigalitres. The fact is that the two day a week sprinkler regime is well accepted and is working, and I trust that the Opposition will join with the Government in encouraging the people of Western Australia to keep that up.
Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: The Water Corporation has received only one direction in its history, and that was on the disposal of assets to the south west irrigators. With regard to the two day a week sprinkler regime, when I was provided by His Excellency the Governor with the ministerial responsibility for the Water Corporation in July 2001, I conferred with the then Chairman of the Water Corporation, Hon Peter Jones, and the managing director, Dr Jim Gill, and I raised a concern about the state of the dams, noting that it did not seem to be raining very much at that time. We had a discussion about that matter, and I asked for options that would enable employment levels not to be harmed but at the same time water use to be conserved. As a result of those discussions, the two day a week sprinkler regime emerged as a serious option. That option was endorsed by the Government, and it came into operation in, I think, the first week of September 2001. The Leader of the Opposition has been putting forward a proposition, I gather, that that regime be modified. It is a strongly held view within the Water Corporation, and it is a view that I share, that the two day a week sprinkler regime has been very well received by the people of Western Australia, and it has been very successful in minimising the use of water. If we were to open it up to, say, three days a week, the water usage would probably be an extra 15 gigalitres a year. However, it might give rise to a water usage by the people of Western Australia that exceeded 15 gigalitres. The fact is that the two day a week sprinkler regime is well accepted and is working, and I trust that the Opposition will join with the Government in encouraging the people of Western Australia to keep that up.
The Water Corporation has received only one direction in its history, and that was on the disposal of assets to the south west irrigators. With regard to the two day a week sprinkler regime, when I was provided by His Excellency the Governor with the ministerial responsibility for the Water Corporation in July 2001, I conferred with the then Chairman of the Water Corporation, Hon Peter Jones, and the managing director, Dr Jim Gill, and I raised a concern about the state of the dams, noting that it did not seem to be raining very much at that time. We had a discussion about that matter, and I asked for options that would enable employment levels not to be harmed but at the same time water use to be conserved. As a result of those discussions, the two day a week sprinkler regime emerged as a serious option. That option was endorsed by the Government, and it came into operation in, I think, the first week of September 2001. The Leader of the Opposition has been putting forward a proposition, I gather, that that regime be modified. It is a strongly held view within the Water Corporation, and it is a view that I share, that the two day a week sprinkler regime has been very well received by the people of Western Australia, and it has been very successful in minimising the use of water. If we were to open it up to, say, three days a week, the water usage would probably be an extra 15 gigalitres a year. However, it might give rise to a water usage by the people of Western Australia that exceeded 15 gigalitres. The fact is that the two day a week sprinkler regime is well accepted and is working, and I trust that the Opposition will join with the Government in encouraging the people of Western Australia to keep that up.
Hon NICK GRIFFITHS replied: The Water Corporation has received only one direction in its history, and that was on the disposal of assets to the south west irrigators. With regard to the two day a week sprinkler regime, when I was provided by His Excellency the Governor with the ministerial responsibility for the Water Corporation in July 2001, I conferred with the then Chairman of the Water Corporation, Hon Peter Jones, and the managing director, Dr Jim Gill, and I raised a concern about the state of the dams, noting that it did not seem to be raining very much at that time. We had a discussion about that matter, and I asked for options that would enable employment levels not to be harmed but at the same time water use to be conserved. As a result of those discussions, the two day a week sprinkler regime emerged as a serious option. That option was endorsed by the Government, and it came into operation in, I think, the first week of September 2001. The Leader of the Opposition has been putting forward a proposition, I gather, that that regime be modified. It is a strongly held view within the Water Corporation, and it is a view that I share, that the two day a week sprinkler regime has been very well received by the people of Western Australia, and it has been very successful in minimising the use of water. If we were to open it up to, say, three days a week, the water usage would probably be an extra 15 gigalitres a year. However, it might give rise to a water usage by the people of Western Australia that exceeded 15 gigalitres. The fact is that the two day a week sprinkler regime is well accepted and is working, and I trust that the Opposition will join with the Government in encouraging the people of Western Australia to keep that up.
The Water Corporation has received only one direction in its history, and that was on the disposal of assets to the south west irrigators. With regard to the two day a week sprinkler regime, when I was provided by His Excellency the Governor with the ministerial responsibility for the Water Corporation in July 2001, I conferred with the then Chairman of the Water Corporation, Hon Peter Jones, and the managing director, Dr Jim Gill, and I raised a concern about the state of the dams, noting that it did not seem to be raining very much at that time. We had a discussion about that matter, and I asked for options that would enable employment levels not to be harmed but at the same time water use to be conserved. As a result of those discussions, the two day a week sprinkler regime emerged as a serious option. That option was endorsed by the Government, and it came into operation in, I think, the first week of September 2001. The Leader of the Opposition has been putting forward a proposition, I gather, that that regime be modified. It is a strongly held view within the Water Corporation, and it is a view that I share, that the two day a week sprinkler regime has been very well received by the people of Western Australia, and it has been very successful in minimising the use of water. If we were to open it up to, say, three days a week, the water usage would probably be an extra 15 gigalitres a year. However, it might give rise to a water usage by the people of Western Australia that exceeded 15 gigalitres. The fact is that the two day a week sprinkler regime is well accepted and is working, and I trust that the Opposition will join with the Government in encouraging the people of Western Australia to keep that up.
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