Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
North and Far North Queensland communities have an opportunity to have their say on the State Government’s proposed Water Resource Plan for the Wet Tropics.
Announcing the start of the planning process today Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson said it was important the community and other stakeholders had an input into future water use for the area.
“We are developing a 10-year Water Resources Plan to ensure sustainable allocations and management of water resources and help secure this unique environmental feature for the next generation,” he said.
“The Wet Tropics has some 2100 water bores in use making it the third highest for any water plan area in Queensland and there is significant demand to extract more surface and groundwater.
“The Bligh Government wants to ensure these water resources are managed in a sustainable way while maintaining a balance with economic development in the region.
“Our Water Resources Plan will help us achieve this balance and we want the local community to have their say on what the right balance should be.
“We need to ensure that increasing demand for ground and surface water does not jeopardise the security of water entitlements for local communities particularly during the dry season,” he said.
Mr Robertson said the Wet Tropics was the most recent and final area in Queensland to have a water resource plan prepared under the National Water Initiative.
“The proposed plan was developed on the back of a 2006 election commitment to establish a water resource planning process for the region.
“This commitment was in line with national consensus under the 2004 Council of Australian Governments agreement for a National Water Initiative.
“The aim is to ensure the sustainable sharing of water resources by balancing various productive, social and environmental water needs.
Mr Robertson said a water moratorium for the Wet Tropics had been put in place on 18 January 2010 as the first step in developing a comprehensive 10-year plan.
“The moratorium provides a stable base of entitlements and helps make certain that future Wet Tropics water use is in accordance with the resulting water plan,” he said
“Whilst there is plenty of water to go around during the wet season, it is during the dry season that water resources must be carefully managed and existing entitlement holders security is protected,” he said.
Mr Robertson said submissions on preparing the draft Wet Tropics Water Resource Plan were now being invited. |
