SAVING WATER A CHALLENGE FOR ALL QUEENSLANDERS

Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie said today that there was a big challenge ahead for all residents, businesses, and the Queensland Government, to meet Level 5 water restrictions.

Mr Beattie said he would continue to push hard to make sure all government buildings including administrative buildings, schools, prisons, hospitals, service centres, and public housing were saving every precious drop.

“We all have to use water in smarter ways to reduce water use, and State Government Departments have to be part of the solution as well,” Mr Beattie said.

“We are already making significant savings.

“For example, data from the Brisbane City Council for the December Quarter last year shows that we on track for meeting level five restrictions for our big water using buildings in the city.

“In Brisbane the top 30 water using office buildings managed by the Department of Public Works saved 286,000 kilolitres of water (38%) in 2006 in comparison to data from 2005.

“The Department of Public Works has been targeting the highest water use buildings because that is where you get more bang for your buck. If we can make reductions in the intensively used buildings, it has a greater impact on water use overall.

“That is why one of the first buildings we targeted for water savings was the Queensland Police building in Roma Street. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is in the top 100 of water use buildings in Brisbane.

“In that building alone retrofits of water saving devices have resulted in savings of 18,000 kilolitres in three months.”

Mr Beattie said funding of $5.3 million had been allocated to the Department’s Water Smart Buildings Program, which is designed to save water in commercial buildings, facilities and parks owned by Public Works on behalf of the Queensland Government.

He said that each Department had its own water saving programs and initiatives and his Director General had written to all Departments to ensure that they have plans and programs in place to meet Level 5 water restrictions.

“Figures from the Brisbane City Council show that since the onset of Level 1 restrictions in 2005, State Government premises on the BCC rates base have achieved an overall reduction of 36% in their water consumption,” Mr Beattie said.

“However, I am keen for more work to be done.

“We have started working with Council to identify individual buildings with high water use and will target those buildings to see what can be done on a case by case basis.

“We have already received preliminary correspondence from the Council but unfortunately a lot of the data is incorrect, out of date or out of context.

“For example, Council has identified a Department of Health property in Inala that has supposedly increased water consumption by more than 200%. However this recording was false and was the result of a faulty meter installed by Council which has since been replaced.

“In addition, certain other Queensland Health properties have recorded increased water usages because of facility expansions or new equipment utilisation. For example reverse osmosis units for renal dialysis require large volumes of water and this will impact on overall water usage.

“They have also identified two Department of Forestry properties that have supposedly increased by more than 580%.

“However, further analysis reveals that one of the properties actually has two water meters on site and while one went up the other went down and there was actually only a marginal increase of 5%. On the other property they have identified – the Salisbury Research Centre – quarter to quarter usage has risen due to increased use of specialist timber kilns that utilise water for heating, humidification and water cooling.

“There are numerous other examples including properties that were vacant and are now tenanted or have been leased to third parties such as a Mains Road property in Lytton that has been tenanted to an international food processing company.

“I appreciate the work the Council is trying to do but I have instructed my Department to work with them to help tidy up their database so we can get a fairer and more accurate picture.”

Further inquiries: Premier’s Office: 3224 4500