GRANT HELPS TORRES STRAIT COMMUNITIES GET WATER-WISE
Published Tuesday, 16 October, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Minister for Natural Resources and Water and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland
The Honourable Craig Wallace
A $130,000 grant from the National Heritage Trust will help deliver an important water education project to the north's Torres Strait Island communities.
The Island Co-ordinating Council Infrastructure Support Unit is managing the project which will deliver a community education package and develop management tools for water conservation, recycling and reuse.
Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said the project was designed to improve the sustainable use of water resources by increasing community understanding of the water cycle and the community's own capacity for management.
"In the Torres Strait it may seem like a case of water, water everywhere, but these are Island communities, so it's really sea water we're talking about,” Mr Wallace said.
“Fresh water is an incredibly precious and limited resource. If the primary water reserves run out on these islands, the only options are emergency water barges and water from portable desalination units.
“The cost to supply barged water is approximately $14 a kilolitre (26 times the national average) and desalinated water is $5 a kilolitre.
"Being water-wise out here is not just a good thing – it's a necessity."
Mr Wallace said the education project would raise community awareness and understanding about the need to save water, water saving approaches suitable for the needs of particular islands and households.
“In many local communities, the level of water consumption, and in some instances water waste, can minimised through changing household behaviour.
"This means simple things like recycling and reuse of grey water by councils, households and community organisations.
“The education project will also help communities access funds to implement these practices.”
Mr Wallace said the Torres Strait communities themselves were eager to become involved in the project.
"A recent Torres Strait-wide art competition to design a water-wise logo for the region attracted a wide range of entries, and plans are already underway for new signage to show water reservoirs levels and outline what water restrictions are in place."