Mark Sullivan, the Managing Director of Actew, Canberra’s supplier of water, has said today that the Guide to the proposed Murray Darling Basin plan could cause a ban on all outdoor use of water in Canberra and Queanbeyan.
“This is just another example of the shambles that Labor has let the Murray-Darling plan get to.
“It shouldn’t be morally reprehensible to want to water your garden and wash your car. I understand during droughts that we all need to do our bit, but that should never be a permanent proposition.
“I actually wrote on the Canberra Times on 4 November 2010 that:
If the cuts in water usage in the ACT were locked in, then Canberrans could face permanent stage 3 water restrictions.
That would mean no drip irrigation, no car washing and brown parks and gardens. Such restrictions are necessary during a drought. But Canberra looks so much greener now since it has rained. It would be a shame for it to be made permanently brown from overly stringent and hasty restrictions on water use.
“I am glad that others are now listening, but the Minister, Tony Burke, still seems deaf to the need to review the Water Act 2007 and ensure that it equally balances economic, social and environmental factors.
“That includes the 2 million Australians that live in the Basin who just want to have a clean car and nice garden to look at.”