[Greens-Media] Costa's water corporatisation no cure for Central West drought

[John Kaye]

Costa's water corporatisation no cure for Central West drought
 
NSW Water Minister Philip Costa must reject the recommendations of a
report into regional water supplies that pushes for corporatisation,
according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: "The Gellatly-Armstrong inquiry into regional water
supplies recommended that non-metropolitan water supplies in NSW be
corporatised.
 
"This would pave the way for privatisation of drinking water at a time
when regional NSW is in the grip of a severe drought.
 
"Corporatisation would not produce one more litre of water.
Commercialising essential services will make dealing with the shortages
much more difficult.
 
"The Rees government must rethink how it helps communities manage
water.
 
"Instead of giving the green light to unsustainable projects such as
the Cadia East Mine, shifting the problem around by diverting water from
the Lachlan, or auctioning off precious artesian reserves, the
government should be looking at sustainable management of existing
supplies.
 
"Improved investment in capturing stormwater run-off and improving
efficiency will be expensive but essential for towns like Orange.
 
"The Rees government must step in and provide financial help for
regional NSW struggling with years of drought.
 
"The severity of the current drought is a foretaste of what can be
expected in the Murray-Darling basin in the near future as climate
change undermines water supplies. 
 
"The time to act on the carbon emissions that are causing climate
change is now.
 
"The Rees government must immediately abandon its plan to expand the
state’s coal fired power stations.
 
"Water and electricity privatisation will create profit-driven barriers
to demand management and efficiency improvements that are essential to
responding to the challenges of climate change," Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455