Water Restrictions

Ms VIRGINIA JUDGE: Will the Premier update the House on the Government's efforts to conserve and manage our water resources and related matters?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I am pleased to inform the House that today the Minister for Water has announced that Sydney's recent rain has not only boosted dam levels but has now allowed the Government to ease water restrictions for Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Upper Hunter to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Current level three restrictions will be eased to allow vehicle and house washing with a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle from this weekend. Water restrictions have been, and remain, an important part of the Government's response to the drought and to the water crisis. Sydneysiders have saved more than 415 billion litres of water since the restrictions were introduced in October 2003. The community has set such a good example that Sydney today uses as much water as it did in 1974, despite one million extra people to turn on the taps. It is a remarkable result.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Hawkesbury to order. I call the Leader of The Nationals to order.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: It is amateur hour over there.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Yes, it is amateur hour from Sahara Stoner. We should all be proud of this remarkable result. As today's Sydney Morning Herald editorial says, "people have become water wiser". On 12 July last year the Government indicated that if dam levels rose above 65 per cent the Government would consider easing restrictions. With dam levels at 66.5 per cent we can now move to ease restrictions. Washing vehicles, boats, caravans, trucks, trailers and other vehicles and homes will now be permitted but only with a hose with a trigger nozzle. The other level three restrictions remain in place. These changes to the restrictions will only have a minor impact on Sydney's overall water use. Sydney Water estimates water consumption will increase by less than half of one per cent per year.

The Government is committed to a long-term water plan to secure Sydney's water supply for the four million residents of Sydney. This water supply is being secured through a record capital investment program of over $5 billion over the next four years. The investment will increase recycling to save drinking water through initiatives such as the Western Sydney Recycling Initiative, saving up to 27 billion litres of water a year through the use of highly treated recycled water for environmental, industrial and residential use. By 2015 Greater Sydney will recycle over 70 billion litres of water a year—more than 11 per cent of Sydney's water needs.

Ms Pru Goward: Hear! Hear!

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: "Hear! Hear!" says the member for Goulburn. This is up from seven billion litres in 1995 and a tenfold increase. Sydney's desalination plant, powered by clean, green, wind energy, will be providing up to 250 million litres of fresh drinking water a day by the summer of 2009-10.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Upper Hunter to order for the second time.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I was giving an outline of a good policy that is securing our water supply. Together with Sydneysiders' fantastic response in saving water in their homes and businesses and deep water from our dams, Sydney's water supply has been boosted by nearly 30 per cent. The other level three water restrictions will remain in place. The Government remains focused on delivering the Metropolitan Water Plan, which will secure this city's water supplies—unlike the policy of the Leader of The Nationals, who is on the record many times as saying that he would see Sydney turn into the Sahara Desert before he would take action to secure the city's water supply. The shadow Minister, the member for Goulburn, in addition to saying that saving on energy was a waste of time and money, has come up with the Opposition's policy: to one day have a policy. If they ever did get into government, so they could write a policy.