Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about water-saving grants that have been allocated in my electorate of Stirling. Like most Australians and many of the people in my electorate, I enjoy the wonderful natural environment that we have, and we need to be mindful of the kind of place we are going to leave behind for our children and our grandchildren.

The natural environment is very important to the people in my electorate of Stirling, as is finding ways to protect and maintain our beautiful beaches, wetlands and bushlands. Many of my constituents spend considerable amounts of their own time caring for the local environment in a voluntary capacity, and I am always impressed by the commitment shown by members of groups such as Stirling Coastcare, the Friends of Trigg Bushland, the Friends of Star Swamp, the Friends of Lake Gwelup, the Friends of Carine Wetlands, the Friends of Dianella Bushland and other groups which people are prepared to give up their own time and resources to support. I think it is a very admirable thing.

When I have talked to people in my community, many have shared their concerns about the conservation of our most precious resource: water. I think it is something that has been extremely topical in the midst of what is a very bad drought in this country. The local communities in my electorate are concerned about how we manage our water supplies. They want to know, and I think they need to know, that we are going to have enough water flowing for future generations—and of course that is why we must take action now.

Healthy waterways do not respect state or local government boundaries. This is very much a national issue. That is why I am very supportive of the Howard government’s community water grants, which in the past 12 months have provided more than a quarter of a million dollars in funding for local projects in my electorate. My local council, the City of Stirling—and I hosted the Mayor of the City of Stirling, Terry Tyzack, during his visit to Canberra this week—has recently been awarded $40,260 as part of the funding for a project that will total $104,000, which will be used to upgrade the irrigation systems at one of my local golf courses and the irrigation system at a sports oval by installing a sophisticated computerised system along with moisture sensors. This will save a staggering 162 million litres of water each year, which is an extraordinary saving to achieve through taking what are quite simple measures.

It is the second water grant that has been provided by this government to the City of Stirling, which was already successful earlier this year in being awarded a community water grant for a water purification and revegetation project within the precious Claisebrook catchment area. Other successful applications in the latest round include St Kieran’s Catholic School, led by principal Redmond Berson, in Tuart Hill, which has received $50,000 to fund a project which will install slow-flow tap devices to save 219,000 litres of water each year. Glendale Primary School, under the leadership of principal Steven Ivey, in Hamersley, has also been successful, receiving $50,000 to install tap control valves that will save 243,000 litres of water each year. This great news followed more than $127,000 in local community water grants that had previously been allocated to Stirling, including $50,000 to Deanmore Primary School in Karrinyup for its efficient sprinkler project that will save over 14 million litres of water a year.

These projects are proof that my local communities are taking steps towards achieving a sustainable and water-wise future, and everybody can play a part. My local schools, the City of Stirling and the many dedicated environmental groups which volunteer many hours to implement these projects deserve to be commended for the incredible commitment they have shown to conserving water. After the enormous success of these projects in Stirling that will literally save millions of litres of water each year, I would urge other communities in my electorate, whether they be sporting clubs, schools, service clubs or other community organisations, to consider applying for a community water grant. This is a tremendous program that firmly highlights the Australian government’s commitment to working with local communities on the ground to save our most precious resource, water.