2024-08-29
The ACT Greens say water is the lifeblood of a healthy environment, pledging to invest in the ACT’s living infrastructure to make Canberra an even more liveable city.
“Improving water quality increases biodiversity and makes our city more liveable and beautiful in the process,” said ACT Greens Leader and Member for Kurrajong, Shane Rattenbury.
“Canberrans want healthy rivers, creeks and lakes across our city that support wildlife and provide great places for us all to enjoy.
“A key focus of the $50 million investment is in local projects that will improve water quality across our city, as well as provide improved biodiversity outcomes and local amenity.”
Key projects include:
- Restoring a creek line and reconnecting it with Tuggeranong Creek at Tuggeranong Homestead in Richardson
- Delivering stage one of the Sullivans Creek Re-naturalisation Plan
- Building a wetland in the area adjacent to Yarralumla Bay
- Building a rain garden at Bevans Street playground in Higgins
- Completing a design study for re-naturalisation of the concrete channel in Telopea Park
Further sites will be based on research and community input.
“Caring for waterways is more important than ever as our city grows, and as the climate changes. Only the Greens have a plan to protect and improve the health of these arteries and veins of our local environment,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“The Greens commitment to water at the last election has delivered $30 million worth of projects this term including a new wetland at Belconnen Oval, re-naturalising a section of Tuggeranong Creek at Calwell, floating wetlands in Lake Tuggeranong and Yerrabi Pond, and water quality research and education programs.
“This election we want to up the investment to further improve water quality and increase biodiversity, which will also create valuable local attractions for everyone to enjoy,” Mr Rattenbury said.
The ACT Greens will:
- Expand the Healthy Waterways program with an additional $50 million to restore creeks and rivers, enhance biodiversity, build new wetlands and deliver water quality education and research
- Support community catchment groups and Frogwatch by providing increased funding for four years
- Improve transparency and accountability of water spending by ensuring the Water Abstraction Charge included in your water bill is spent on water management and improving catchment health
- Restore the health of the upper Murrumbidgee River working with stakeholders, First Nations and governments to restore flows
- Embed First Nations perspectives and knowledge in water management by creating two new dedicated First Nations positions in the Office of Water
- Improve water efficiency across the ACT to save 6.36GL each year.
ACT Greens MLA Laura Nuttall, who is recontesting her Tuggeranong seat of Brindabella, says water quality is a big local issue.
“People in Tuggeranong know firsthand what happens when waterways and catchment areas are not in a healthy state – they can be smelly and polluted and just not nice to be around,” Miss Nuttall said.
“The Greens plan to care for waterways and catchments will improve water quality and make our city more liveable, with cleaner water around the green spaces we all love.
“We’ve made so much great progress with a Greens Minister for Water and dedicated local community groups, but there is so much more we need to do and now the Greens have put forward a clear plan to achieve it,” Miss Nuttall said.
More information on today’s announcement, and other Greens plans for improving Canberra’s environment, is available on the ACT Greens website.