E1MBARIGO: 5: 00p
FOR MEDIA SUNDAYf, 22 N1OVMBER, 1983.
ELECTORATE TALK
: 4, The CoT= Onwealth Govornment will be conitacting the States shortly
to outline the concept, and to v; eek their co-operation. Good vlater'
suppJlier--are of bas -c-importanice to all Australians, to evcery
At) n-lian fari-lyt to everyj Au7-tralian bu! siness,, to virtual. ly Qevi:! xy
aoL~ h vicit y t~ cs lac intJhi, 5 Country, Th~ e decC1 1Obf y t-hcñ
nme;-flnen. toi~ taethis i!) wCStI q1-tJ. CTn, ! V0A ZI
i., is. penf--ibJe pre). J,. Lnpary to tLhcd'' lo; e of-I-) Ong martein Lmlatcgy,
Fj a clear demc t i~ it on of t Gvenn'' Sdetermidnation that.
e; a-ter refsource p: on shal 1 not constrain AsrlaS eeprt
/ 2
Atw. tralia is a œ parse, dry continent, and the availability of
good. water. supplies has alwaye-b-een crij-ical to our.-developiient.
The great water projects of earlier yeart, have been landmnarks
in our economic progress as a nation. ProjeCtfS such as the
Snowy Mountains Scerehave reant an enormous amnownt to
Australia, and it is* plain that dellandi prr our limited water
resources will increase in the years ahe-
The Goverrnm,_ nt recent-ly t-ook the historic decision what we inust
develop a perspeotive on Australia's total water resource needs
rigjht through to the year 2000. Such a perbpective will be
essential in developing a stratecly to nmeet AuStralia'F water
requirements through the 1980' s and l990' t. Tlo achieve the necessary
perFpective, an invcntigation and study will be undcrtaken by
the JDepartrinent of National Development and Energy, in collaboration
with r-elevant water avthoritieEs and other organisationn.
The Govexrnient believes we need an updated assessmnent of all
Australian water resources, including undergjround as well as
surface water, in term-s of both quality and quantity. We need
estirnates of current water usage, we nieed to know the---iandf
ex! enditurez on wa-.; ter resource dvel~ ipt, and we need to excemine
. tthe implications of future demands,
The irivestigation wil, focus on water manageinent issues of national
cignlficainae, 11C will conuider maaeetsrk~ e odeal with
future requireirients, and it will set' out options to deal with
issues arnd probleiTL3 that are revealed b~ y the investigation.
Funds of quarter of a million dollars will be made avaiilable t.
get the investicqation utncravLis'ezr nncbe benefits from
l beEoets oaiurlc b i of all proportion tI thc co~.
t
I 77
Elect7oYz~ te Talk2
As-a result of ' this decision, the co~ rit. Lnity-will have available
to__ it in. feouc
to _____ ormation which %,, ill give us guidance in water rsuc
development right througjh-to tbt-i end of this. ci'ntury, so that
we can use our management and planining skills to prevent
inadequacies in water supplieo from imposing avoidabhle limitations
on the development of Australia.
This initiative on the part of the Commonwealth Government in
relation to water resources is obviously very much in harmony
with the New R~ iver Murray Water., Agroerflent which wiis entered into
by the three State Goverrnents and the Comonwealth a few weeks ago
which-wri result in effective and co-operative managemtent of the
M) urray, especially i-relation to salinicy problems..
Australia'-s water resources are being examined front~ a number o-f
vev-ri cn t s The.-Australian Water Resources. Council -a Commonwalth/
State forum for co-operation to mutual advantage now nearig
the completion of a wide-ranging review of water research in
Aus traIi a. C. S. 1. IR. O. ha õ recently completed an initerPnal review
of its water research pr~ ogramies., w,, ith the objeotive of providing.
Ex nore-ef ficivea fnd visible focus for its water resqearch effort,.
We must have an adequate research base to ' Fupport whbatever
initiatives are necessary-to overcome water resou. rce difficulties.
Throughout most of the 1970' s th-ere was qluite rightly a particular
XoCus in our i tional plann~ ing or. our mrineral. and ( e-nerg-yeorcs
anod utpis oin ithasbeen possible to meet the. water
requireMentS of thee developments at in , nageaoble levels evnn in
arid areas. But it is a rcattc~ t for concern whether we can continue
to-assumei the qontinued avoilalbilit. y of wa-ezter within the r allge o f
costs which has prevailed unti). the present time. Thexre are
already indications oil possible cocnflictPs in the use of available
water resources, and it will be necessary. for us to work our way
through to equitable solutions.
While the States. are primarily responsible for the development
and management of our water supplies and resources, the Comnmnealthl
has mnade a. signifr-iant cont11ribution through the National Water
Resources Proora~ zcii, And alhough t] i prgareh~ kP been ivtplernent(: 6
in ' thE coitetbdf our overall Dudgeta -restrainft, over $ 220 ' illion
vil l ha vi been providled -by the end of ThAis fintancial year by the
Commonwealth and the states together, since 1973/ 79, and
$ 110 iillion. of tha~ t i, 5 Cor-xonwealth funds.
*. The Governmaent will maintain its commitment in this ar-ea of
fu-ndarnnta. concern to0 all Australians, and the pervpiective to
bE. devieloped on water rosource reecds to the * Year 2000 is a fr. he
ff a n' 3-looking initiativa, Oil Ole Pa~ rt of tho GoVex), lfl: Int onl an issuo
-that. 4 i4tal to-AP. ustralia's fut-Ure.
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