John Forrest (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, my question is to do with the issue of water used for gardening purposes in the parliamentary precinct. For some weeks now I have noticed sprinklers in the precinct coming on late at night—in fact, the greatest indignity last night was whilst it was raining on my way home. In particular I am concerned about the intersection of Kings Avenue between State Circle and National Circuit. I make the point that the largest population centre in the Murray-Darling Basin is Canberra and, with constituents who are now in their fifth year of stage 5 water restrictions carting their grey water from the bathtub to keep their roses alive and with irrigators with zero allocations—slightly increased to six per cent in Victoria yesterday—this place should show the lead. I want you to investigate why those sprinklers are coming on and why the lawns in the parliamentary precinct are so green when many Australians are going without precious water resources. I am sure you will handle this in your capable way.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the member for Mallee that I will seek the advice of the Department of Parliamentary Services. As he knows, I have taken some personal interest in these matters that he has raised. I would hope that we work to ensure that Parliament House and the parliamentary precincts are seen as exemplars in the use of resources in appropriate and sustainable ways.