Drinking water protection ? Delayed!
Wednesday, 14 March 2001 10:00
On March 8 the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (DUAP) announced that the Regional Environment Plan (REP) for Sydney?s Drinking Water Catchments would not be finalised until the end of 2001.
The REP is a fundamental tool for the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) to eliminate pollution threats to the drinking water supply of 4 million people.
This issue is of concern for all Sydney-siders. No one wants to see a repeat of the 1998 water contamination or other new incidents, said Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre.
We are calling for rapid and sweeping changes in development control and land-use management in the catchments, he said.
To illustrate the extent of the problem, the Warragamba catchment supplies over 80% Sydney?s Drinking Water. SCA?s Annual water quality monitoring report 1999/2000 revealed that low water quality in some parts of the catchment are indicative of considerable human impact. The sources need to be addressed now.
Stalling by DUAP and SCA is a response to political pressure from land-users in the catchments. Protecting the health of water consumers by maintaining and improving catchment ecosystems should be the priority issue. Solutions are available now, the government needs to take action in implementing them, said Kathy Ridge, Executive Officer of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
Improvements in water quality will take time to become evident even after controls are in place. The present process could lead to there being no coordinated approach to water quality impacts ? up to 4 years after the Sydney Water Inquiry recommended that water quality should be the primary consideration for decision making affecting the catchments, said Ms. Ridge.
Changes needed include: water quality guidelines on new development which are prescriptive and binding on all government approval bodies; absolute protection of in-stream and riparian ecosystems, binding commitments to remediate impacts of existing development and adequate and strategic funding for catchment improvement works, Ms. Ridge said.
