Water (Urban) Policy Summary

Efficiency, rain water harvesting & reuse

Prolonged and severe drought and falling dam levels challenge governments, water suppliers and urban dwellers to rethink attitudes to water. The impacts of global warming on rainfall and runoff are going to make these problems much worse.

Public ownership of the water utilities like Sydney Water and advances in technology make it possible to massively reduce consumption without damaging our standard of living. But it will take new leadership from the state government, reforming the culture and incentives of Sydney Water and an understanding that water is a collectively owned resource that needs to be used wisely and shared equitably.

The Greens believe that NSW should become a world leader in water wisdom. By reducing household and industrial consumption and increasing efficiency and re-use, we can build a stronger economy that delivers jobs and much healthier oceans and waterways.

Our approach is based on treating rainwater and grey water (water from sinks and showers) as assets, not waste product. Small investments in tanks and local treatment plants can reduce both pressure on storages like Warragamba and the burden on the sewers, drains and outfalls.

The Greens reject the need for desalination plants and for transferring water from the Shoalhaven. These options are expensive, energy hungry and damaging to the environment. Water efficiency, re-use and rainwater tanks would make them unnecessary.

The Greens NSW will work towards:

• maintaining full public ownership of all water and sewerage infrastructure;
• no desalination plants and phasing out all water transfers from other catchments;
• reducing water demand by: mandating 5 star water efficiency standards for all new appliances; implementing demand side management; and low water usage industrial processes and recycling;
• rainwater harvesting for local use and the installation of water tanks wherever possible;
• more localised grey water treatment, composting toilets, and water efficient gardens;
• phasing out all discharges from deep ocean sewerage outfalls and treatment of other discharges to environmental or potable standards;
• implementing polluter pays water pricing that reflects environmental and social costs;
• ensuring that urban groundwater extraction does not exceed replenishment rates; and
• full community participation and public accountability in all water management.

Follow this link for the full version of The Greens NSW Water (Urban) Policy.