Secure, Sustainable Water 

The application for funding from DEWHA for Stage 2 of our Stormwater Harvest Project has been received by the Federal department and follow up questions have been asked and answered which give us some cause for optimism that the project has sufficient merit to be considered worthwhile.
Min. Penny Wong responded to our letter requesting Federal government assistance in our efforts to convince the Victorian Government of the need to review pricing of recycled water to encourage industry substitution and to make known to the Minister our concerns about CHW’s ability to deliver a sustainable water supply for Ballarat. The response gave no indication other than a Federal Government commitment to support measures such as stormwater harvesting and increased use of recycled water via the “Water for the Future” programme. Nevertheless we are hopeful that our message has been received and noted.
The Chair and CEO with the City (Ian Rossiter) delivered a presentation to the LBWR group covering the medium term efforts to harvest and re-use stormwater and to continue the public discussion and rationale for Indirect Potable Re-Use of recycled water in the medium to longer term.
The most recent RTD Panel Forum spent some time discussing Ballarat’s water future, in particular the use of recycled water. The response from the audience suggested there was broad support for the proposition albeit with safety being assured. This led to a radio interview with Jon Faine and another on ABC local radio, putting the case for recycled water in Ballarat.
The Chair and CEO attended a breakfast presentation by the Min for Water Tim Holding at which the Minister demonstrated that Victoria’s water needs will be met in the medium to long term through the interconnection of pipes and the implementation of the desalination plant. A question from the Chair (CfB) on reports clearly showing there will be a threat to supply as early as 2030 due to climate change and population growth despite these measures, was met with some derision, however the Minister acknowledged that we cannot rule out the future use of recycled water in the potable supply and that the CfB should be congratulated for its efforts in both bringing the awareness of the issue to the public and for its work with the City of Ballarat on stormwater harvesting.
In response to the report of Min Holding’s presentation in the Courier, the Chair wrote a follow up Room for a View piece in The Courier on the Case for Recycled Water.
There has been little if any negative response to any of the CfB’s public positioning on the topic.  

THE NEXT STEPS
It was noted at the recent Key Issues discussion involving Executive and Corporate Gold members that the CfB risks being typecast by the public and others as being single-minded on Water to the detriment of other important issues and project areas. The Water TT will bear this in mind and develop a strategy and marketing plan that will hopefully put the issue in perspective and be seen as an important part of the overall Issues Matrix for Ballarat – not the focal point. 
As a result of Daryl Bussell’s departure we have invited Bruno Bomitali from mars to join the TT. Bruno brings a wealth of knowledge and experience on water conservation in industry which will enhance the Task Team’s skill base. 

30 May 2010.