[Greens-Media] MARK PARNELL MLC: Commit to water target now

[Parnell]

Media Release
Tuesday 25th November, 2008


Commit to water target now	


Greens MLC Mark Parnell has called on the Rann Government to urgently
set a water use reduction target for Adelaide residents of 140 litres
per person per day, arguing the water saved is more than the Port
Stanvac desal plant will produce.

"At the moment, most people in Adelaide don't know how their water use
compares with their neighbours.  And if you don't know, it's hard to
work out whether you should be trying to save more,' said Greens MLC
Mark Parnell.

"We currently use an average of 280 litres per day, far more than people
use interstate, despite our current water crisis.  We can easily reduce
that by half and still have plenty of water for our needs.  The good
news is: if we use less water, we won't need to invest in expensive
water supply options like desalination," he said.

The call comes as Victoria has announced a Target 155 program
(155l/person/day), and in SE QLD per capita mains water use fell from
300 litres per day in 2005 to 129 litres per day in 2007, after
commencing a Target 140 demand reduction program.  

In a recent report commissioned by Greens MLC Mark Parnell, Report on
Sustainable Water Options for Adelaide*, the authors called for a
similar Target 140 comprehensive demand management program to reduce
Adelaide average daily consumption down from the current 280 litres per
person per day.  This will save 64GL of water/year, compared with the
50GL produced by the Adelaide desal plant.

140l/person/day (averaged over the year - ie less in winter, more in
summer) will allow enough water for the laundry, dishwasher, showering,
toilet as well as irrigating the equivalent of 42 square metres of
premium lawn.  

"The potential for water saving is massive.  Water experts say that a
decent demand management program will save us 64 GL of water per year.
We should be seriously looking at this as a water security option for
our parched city.  

"Reducing our water is a sensible way to make Adelaide water secure.  I
call on Minister Maywald to urgently commit to a Target 140 program
here," he said.


*Report available at:  www.markparnell.org.au
<http://www.markparnell.org.au/>  (Water that doesn't cost the earth)



	
For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893

	
 
 


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