❓ The Minister for Water Resources updates the house on Perth's water supply, highlighting community conservation efforts, the impact of a dry autumn, and government initiatives like desalination and water recycling to address the challenge of a drying climate.
AnsweredQoN 344Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER SUPPLY - PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA
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 the question. We certainly should commend the Western Australian community for the way in which it has responded to the call to conserve water and to adhere to the two-days-per-week sprinkler restrictions. It has worked very effectively. Over the summer just past, we have saved something like 40 billion litres of water, which is a little beyond the target we had set, but it is still a marvellous result. We are well aware - country members will know the angst it has caused out in country areas - that we had the second driest autumn on record. We are now nearly halfway through the first month of winter, and aside from last night, we have had hardly any rain in Perth or along the coastal areas. Similarly, many farming areas are crying out for rain. We have real concern that the drying climate is having an impact. It is continuing to impact, and we need to recognise that through a range of measures, particularly through using water wisely and conserving water, we are able to meet that challenge. Nonetheless, it is a challenge the government is facing up to. We have done that through a range of approaches: we are addressing the issue through the desalination plant, which is well underway and will be ready for next summer; our range of new surface and groundwater sources; water trading for irrigation, in which we lead Australia; demand management; water restrictions; promoting the use of particular types of washing machines and other apparatus for conserving water; our catchment management; and our water recycling. However, we are clearly only achieving these results because of support from the community. We need to advise people that in this dry period from autumn through to the start of winter, when people are putting more water on their lawns, water consumption is higher than we would like and expect. We need to be on our guard to ensure we use water as efficiently as possible and wisely to help us through a difficult time, particularly with the very late start to winter and the very dry autumn.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for the question. We certainly should commend the Western Australian community for the way in which it has responded to the call to conserve water and to adhere to the two-days-per-week sprinkler restrictions. It has worked very effectively. Over the summer just past, we have saved something like 40 billion litres of water, which is a little beyond the target we had set, but it is still a marvellous result. We are well aware - country members will know the angst it has caused out in country areas - that we had the second driest autumn on record. We are now nearly halfway through the first month of winter, and aside from last night, we have had hardly any rain in Perth or along the coastal areas. Similarly, many farming areas are crying out for rain. We have real concern that the drying climate is having an impact. It is continuing to impact, and we need to recognise that through a range of measures, particularly through using water wisely and conserving water, we are able to meet that challenge. Nonetheless, it is a challenge the government is facing up to. We have done that through a range of approaches: we are addressing the issue through the desalination plant, which is well underway and will be ready for next summer; our range of new surface and groundwater sources; water trading for irrigation, in which we lead Australia; demand management; water restrictions; promoting the use of particular types of washing machines and other apparatus for conserving water; our catchment management; and our water recycling. However, we are clearly only achieving these results because of support from the community. We need to advise people that in this dry period from autumn through to the start of winter, when people are putting more water on their lawns, water consumption is higher than we would like and expect. We need to be on our guard to ensure we use water as efficiently as possible and wisely to help us through a difficult time, particularly with the very late start to winter and the very dry autumn.
I thank the member for the question. We certainly should commend the Western Australian community for the way in which it has responded to the call to conserve water and to adhere to the two-days-per-week sprinkler restrictions. It has worked very effectively. Over the summer just past, we have saved something like 40 billion litres of water, which is a little beyond the target we had set, but it is still a marvellous result. We are well aware - country members will know the angst it has caused out in country areas - that we had the second driest autumn on record. We are now nearly halfway through the first month of winter, and aside from last night, we have had hardly any rain in Perth or along the coastal areas. Similarly, many farming areas are crying out for rain. We have real concern that the drying climate is having an impact. It is continuing to impact, and we need to recognise that through a range of measures, particularly through using water wisely and conserving water, we are able to meet that challenge. Nonetheless, it is a challenge the government is facing up to. We have done that through a range of approaches: we are addressing the issue through the desalination plant, which is well underway and will be ready for next summer; our range of new surface and groundwater sources; water trading for irrigation, in which we lead Australia; demand management; water restrictions; promoting the use of particular types of washing machines and other apparatus for conserving water; our catchment management; and our water recycling. However, we are clearly only achieving these results because of support from the community. We need to advise people that in this dry period from autumn through to the start of winter, when people are putting more water on their lawns, water consumption is higher than we would like and expect. We need to be on our guard to ensure we use water as efficiently as possible and wisely to help us through a difficult time, particularly with the very late start to winter and the very dry autumn.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for the question. We certainly should commend the Western Australian community for the way in which it has responded to the call to conserve water and to adhere to the two-days-per-week sprinkler restrictions. It has worked very effectively. Over the summer just past, we have saved something like 40 billion litres of water, which is a little beyond the target we had set, but it is still a marvellous result. We are well aware - country members will know the angst it has caused out in country areas - that we had the second driest autumn on record. We are now nearly halfway through the first month of winter, and aside from last night, we have had hardly any rain in Perth or along the coastal areas. Similarly, many farming areas are crying out for rain. We have real concern that the drying climate is having an impact. It is continuing to impact, and we need to recognise that through a range of measures, particularly through using water wisely and conserving water, we are able to meet that challenge. Nonetheless, it is a challenge the government is facing up to. We have done that through a range of approaches: we are addressing the issue through the desalination plant, which is well underway and will be ready for next summer; our range of new surface and groundwater sources; water trading for irrigation, in which we lead Australia; demand management; water restrictions; promoting the use of particular types of washing machines and other apparatus for conserving water; our catchment management; and our water recycling. However, we are clearly only achieving these results because of support from the community. We need to advise people that in this dry period from autumn through to the start of winter, when people are putting more water on their lawns, water consumption is higher than we would like and expect. We need to be on our guard to ensure we use water as efficiently as possible and wisely to help us through a difficult time, particularly with the very late start to winter and the very dry autumn.
I thank the member for the question. We certainly should commend the Western Australian community for the way in which it has responded to the call to conserve water and to adhere to the two-days-per-week sprinkler restrictions. It has worked very effectively. Over the summer just past, we have saved something like 40 billion litres of water, which is a little beyond the target we had set, but it is still a marvellous result. We are well aware - country members will know the angst it has caused out in country areas - that we had the second driest autumn on record. We are now nearly halfway through the first month of winter, and aside from last night, we have had hardly any rain in Perth or along the coastal areas. Similarly, many farming areas are crying out for rain. We have real concern that the drying climate is having an impact. It is continuing to impact, and we need to recognise that through a range of measures, particularly through using water wisely and conserving water, we are able to meet that challenge. Nonetheless, it is a challenge the government is facing up to. We have done that through a range of approaches: we are addressing the issue through the desalination plant, which is well underway and will be ready for next summer; our range of new surface and groundwater sources; water trading for irrigation, in which we lead Australia; demand management; water restrictions; promoting the use of particular types of washing machines and other apparatus for conserving water; our catchment management; and our water recycling. However, we are clearly only achieving these results because of support from the community. We need to advise people that in this dry period from autumn through to the start of winter, when people are putting more water on their lawns, water consumption is higher than we would like and expect. We need to be on our guard to ensure we use water as efficiently as possible and wisely to help us through a difficult time, particularly with the very late start to winter and the very dry autumn.
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