BLIGH GOVERNMENT: TALKING WITH THE OUTBACK

A Bligh Government road show promoting the diverse water resource planning activities across the Great Artesian Basin will commence this month.

Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said the theme, Talking With The Outback, was an ideal title for the interactive forums.

“The Bligh Government wants to hear the views of pastoralists, community leaders, business operators and the general public with regards to water resource planning and how we can further protect the basin aquifers.

“In recent years, the Great Artesian Basin has had its water resource plan (WRP) and resource operations plans (ROP) finalised. The State Government has also been an active participant in the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) which is working to cap free-flowing bores across the basin.

“Since GABSI started in 1989, more than 540 bores have been capped and 9400 kilometres of open bore drains have been piped. Today, around 161,000 megalitres of water is being saved every year thanks to GABSI.

“This road show will take in key basin communities and provide a forum for everyone to understand what is going on with water resource planning, and how they can play their part in preserving the basin.’’

The Great Artesian Basin is the largest artesian groundwater basin in the world and underlies around one-fifth of Australia. It extends beneath the arid and semi-arid parts of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory, stretching from the Great Dividing Range to the Lake Eyre depression.

The Basin covers a total area of 1,711,000 sq km and holds around 8700 million megalitres of water.

The road show program will feature half-day seminars in each town and will coincide with local community events where possible.

Venues:

·Hughenden – Saturday August 23 – Australian International Arid Lands Festival, Diggers Entertainment Centre Meeting Room - from 12pm;

·Richmond – Monday August 25 – Richmond Civic Centre – 9.30am to 12pm;

·Georgetown – Wednesday August 27 - Georgetown Town Hall – 9.30am to 12pm;

·Charleville – Tuesday September 2 – Charleville RSL Conference Room – 9.30am to 12pm;

·Longreach – Thursday September 4 – DPI&F Centre, Landsborough Highway – 9.30am to 12pm.

Media contact: Minister Wallace’s office, 3896 3688.