❓ Mr. Hughes asks about the government's response to reduced rainfall and water conservation strategies. The Minister details a waterwise strategy, targets for water reduction, and criticizes the previous government's approach.
AnsweredQoN 962Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER CORPORATION —
WATERWISE STRATEGY
962. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Water:
I refer to meteorology predictions
for a hotter than average summer for Perth.
(1) How is the
McGowan government addressing the impacts of reduced rainfall due to climate
change?
(2) What strategy is the government
putting in place to conserve water?
WATERWISE STRATEGY
962. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Water:
I refer to meteorology predictions
for a hotter than average summer for Perth.
(1) How is the
McGowan government addressing the impacts of reduced rainfall due to climate
change?
(2) What strategy is the government
putting in place to conserve water?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalamunda for
the question.
(1)–(2) As
part of National Water Week this week, we had a presentation from Neil Bennett.
As people would know, he is an icon of the Bureau of Meteorology. He gave a presentation
to staff at the Water Corporation about the prospects for the weather going
forward. The presentation was quite sobering. There has already been a 15 per cent
decline in rainfall in the south west and Perth since the 1970s. Our winters
are getting drier and our summers are getting hotter. There is a further
prediction of a six per cent decline in rainfall by 2030. It is predicted that
the number of days over 35 degrees will increase from 28 to 36, so there is no
doubt that climate change is having a very significant impact on Perth's
weather.
What we have done since we came to
government is take a range of actions around the state. One thing we have done
with respect to Perth's water supply is to get government, industry and
community groups into the tent to work up Perth's first waterwise
strategy. It is a two-year action plan, outlining 38 different measures that
will be taken, in conjunction with industry, to deal with the impact of climate
change on Perth's water supply. The really impressive thing about this
plan is that we are trying to not only conserve water, but also ensure that
Perth remains a green, liveable city. We now know that it is not a choice
between concrete or lawn; we can actually have a really pleasant and liveable
city and be waterwise at the same time.
A key target we have set for 2030 is
to reduce water use in Perth from 126 kilolitres per person per year to 110
kilolitres per person per year. Most people have no idea how much water they
use. The average water use in Perth per person per day is 340 litres. If we
could get that down to 300 litres per person per day, we would save enough
water to fill Optus Stadium 32 times.
Mr S.A. Millman : It is a great
stadium.
Mr D.J. KELLY : It is a great
stadium. It would look great filled up with water 32 times!
Members will remember that the first
desalination plant was built with a capacity of 50 billion kilolitres. The
saving we are aiming for here would save 32 billion kilolitres. That is very
significant.
We are going to introduce a showerhead
swap program for Perth and a $100 rebate for people who want to get a plumber
to audit their house and to fix up their plumbing and toilet leaks, because we
know how much water that would save.
Tanya
Steinbeck, the CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, has
endorsed the plan. We know that if we are to continue to build Perth as
a waterwise city, we need to talk and work with industry. Josh Byrne, a well-known
environmental consultant, and 200 stakeholders were involved in putting this
plan together. We have done the work and we take this issue seriously. Contrast
that with members opposite. When they were in government, they made the bold
and ridiculous claim that they had droughtproofed Perth. That claim was made by
the Minister for Water, the Leader of the Nationals WA, and repeated by the
member for Riverton when he was Treasurer. In his budget speech, he claimed
that his government had droughtproofed Perth. Without doubt, they were the
worst government we have ever had in the last 20 years when it came to dealing
with the issue of climate change and with very serious water issues we have in
Perth going forward. I really want to commend the departments, industry and
community groups that have come together to put this two-year plan in place. I look
forward to working with them to see it implemented.
the question.
(1)–(2) As
part of National Water Week this week, we had a presentation from Neil Bennett.
As people would know, he is an icon of the Bureau of Meteorology. He gave a presentation
to staff at the Water Corporation about the prospects for the weather going
forward. The presentation was quite sobering. There has already been a 15 per cent
decline in rainfall in the south west and Perth since the 1970s. Our winters
are getting drier and our summers are getting hotter. There is a further
prediction of a six per cent decline in rainfall by 2030. It is predicted that
the number of days over 35 degrees will increase from 28 to 36, so there is no
doubt that climate change is having a very significant impact on Perth's
weather.
What we have done since we came to
government is take a range of actions around the state. One thing we have done
with respect to Perth's water supply is to get government, industry and
community groups into the tent to work up Perth's first waterwise
strategy. It is a two-year action plan, outlining 38 different measures that
will be taken, in conjunction with industry, to deal with the impact of climate
change on Perth's water supply. The really impressive thing about this
plan is that we are trying to not only conserve water, but also ensure that
Perth remains a green, liveable city. We now know that it is not a choice
between concrete or lawn; we can actually have a really pleasant and liveable
city and be waterwise at the same time.
A key target we have set for 2030 is
to reduce water use in Perth from 126 kilolitres per person per year to 110
kilolitres per person per year. Most people have no idea how much water they
use. The average water use in Perth per person per day is 340 litres. If we
could get that down to 300 litres per person per day, we would save enough
water to fill Optus Stadium 32 times.
Mr S.A. Millman : It is a great
stadium.
Mr D.J. KELLY : It is a great
stadium. It would look great filled up with water 32 times!
Members will remember that the first
desalination plant was built with a capacity of 50 billion kilolitres. The
saving we are aiming for here would save 32 billion kilolitres. That is very
significant.
We are going to introduce a showerhead
swap program for Perth and a $100 rebate for people who want to get a plumber
to audit their house and to fix up their plumbing and toilet leaks, because we
know how much water that would save.
Tanya
Steinbeck, the CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, has
endorsed the plan. We know that if we are to continue to build Perth as
a waterwise city, we need to talk and work with industry. Josh Byrne, a well-known
environmental consultant, and 200 stakeholders were involved in putting this
plan together. We have done the work and we take this issue seriously. Contrast
that with members opposite. When they were in government, they made the bold
and ridiculous claim that they had droughtproofed Perth. That claim was made by
the Minister for Water, the Leader of the Nationals WA, and repeated by the
member for Riverton when he was Treasurer. In his budget speech, he claimed
that his government had droughtproofed Perth. Without doubt, they were the
worst government we have ever had in the last 20 years when it came to dealing
with the issue of climate change and with very serious water issues we have in
Perth going forward. I really want to commend the departments, industry and
community groups that have come together to put this two-year plan in place. I look
forward to working with them to see it implemented.
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