our water our future yarragadee sw zone of walga sept 2005

WALGA - South West Zone General Meeting Friday 22nd September 2005

Our Water - Our FutureA South West Perspective

Presentation to the South West Zone of WALGA

byTony Brun

Executive Manager City DevelopmentCity of Bunbury


The growth and sustainability of the Southwest will be curtailed and

adversely affected by denying it water to sustain existing and future development.

• Need to Review State Strategic Plan

• Over reliance on single city (Perth) principle

• Opportunity to develop a major South West urban cell (Bunbury-Busselton urban Arc) and associated south west hinterland centres

• Potential for a population far greater than modelled/planned and in-lieu of Government subsidised development in the northern sprawl suburbs of Perth


Future food production will be curtailed by this proposal meaning a greater

reliance on imports, adverse effects on balance of trade figures and a

sustained future dependence by the state on imported food products.

• Restriction of potential development on new agricultural industries.

• Economic studies can give skewed and misleading interpretations, which makes the “lawn mowing” industry in Perth more economically valuable than our agricultural industries.

• Recent campaign by the West Australian showed WA people wanted locally grown food and produce and that it be labelled


The devastation of rural communities will continue with the loss of services, population reductions increased cost imposts on remaining families and the

loss of employment opportunities.

• Too many current communities lack basic infrastructure such as:-– Secure and quality water supply to regional towns– Water treatment (gradual dismantling of the infill sewer

programme by the Government and Water Corporation)• Lack of secure water supply acts as a disincentive for the

creation of industry and employment in rural communities


The impact of big government and a “Perth First” policy with an imposed solution will deepen the rift between stakeholders and confirm the view that the gardens of Perth

will be sustained at the cost of the future of our country communities.

• The whole project has from start to finish been about Perth, Perth and Perth

• Water from this project will save Government millions (comparison of $0.85/kL to $1.20/kL against with desalination)

• If Government goes ahead then this regional infrastructure should be funded and built first


The Other Options Available

• Major change in land use planning to curtail subsidised growth of the metropolitan areas of Perth

• Greater recycling of water – Perth dumps about 100 GL of wastewater into the sea every year! (it

currently recycles only 3% and current projects will increase this to 6% - making it one of the worst recyclers in the world in the driest state of the driest continent)

– In Bunbury the Water Corp uses “World’s Best Practice” to dump almost 5 - 8 GL per annum of valuable water out to sea

• Fast tracking of infrastructure improvements (piping) to the irrigation districts

our water our future yarragadee sw zone of walga sept 2005

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