House debates

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Adjournment

Hawkesbury-Nepean River

8:30 pm

Photo of Louise MarkusLouise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

The Labor Party has been in government for well over a year. It came to power with many promises and raised an expectation that issues of concern to communities would be fixed. It came to power gifted with a sound and strong economy, built by the coalition’s strong economic management. But the economy today is at a crossroads. The Labor Party has already spent the surplus, the economic legacy left by the coalition, and has plunged this nation into a debt that future generations will have to repay. My community in Greenway had high expectations that the government would continue with the coalition’s Hawkesbury-Nepean river recovery program.

The coalition when in government announced, in August 2007, $132.5 million for the Hawkesbury-Nepean river recovery program. This money was set aside to deliver practical solutions for the river, for issues such as: invasive aquatic and terrestrial weeds and pests, water quality, discharge of effluent, water flows and flushing, urban stormwater and rural run-off, riverbank erosion and fish management. I have repeatedly called on the government to release the $132.5 million but that has not happened.

On 12 September last year, I sent letters to the Hon. Peter Garrett and to the New South Wales Premier, the Hon. Nathan Rees. As a result, the New South Wales government announced the establishment of the Office for the Hawkesbury-Nepean. That government also announced $29 million to improve weirs along the river to allow fish passage and to allow new and improved environmental flows. While welcomed, positive outcomes will be the real measure of whether this money will be well spent. But where is the Commonwealth money that was already allocated? There is no time to waste. Action is required.

Recently I toured the river with my colleague the shadow minister for environment and water, the Hon. Greg Hunt. On that day, my colleague and I announced a vision for the year 2020 for the Hawkesbury-Nepean. We announced a long-term plan to consult with the community, to identify the issues and challenges and to develop an action plan. The goal is to have the river as the benchmark for the quality of any semi-urban river in Australia. It is critical to have (1) a permanent weed eradication program, (2) increased environmental flows, and (3) improvements in nutrient control. Labor may not care about the river, but the coalition are serious about it. We understand that the river is vitally important to the people of the greater Sydney region.

The Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Action Plan 2007-2016 emphasises the importance of the river. The document says:

… the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment supplied 97% of the reticulated water—

drinking water—

for the 4.13 million people living in metropolitan Sydney. It also supplies much of the water for Gosford and Wyong from dams on Mangrove and Mooney Mooney Creeks. The number of people depending on this catchment for water grows every year.

           …         …         …

Water from the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment supports generation of 70% of the state’s income.

           …         …         …

Agricultural production in the region is worth more than one billion dollars …

The catchment boasts the state’s second largest oyster and prawn producing areas.

           …         …         …

Eighty percent of the sand and gravel required for Sydney’s construction industry is sourced from the catchment.

Tourism is a major industry in the catchment with the river by itself attracting more than 10 million visits a year.

Whatever happens to the river happens to us, to the environment and to the people—those who live in the catchment and those who depend on the catchment for their livelihood. Almost one million people live in the region, with another 300,000 people expected to move into the area in the next 30 years.

The impact of the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system on the environment can be dramatic, especially so in the event of flooding. One of my constituents, Mr John Miller, has written to the Prime Minister and to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts requesting urgent action on flood mitigation. His sense of urgency is understandable, given the November 2008 floods in South-East Queensland and in Tamworth, New South Wales. The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley river system is one of the most flood prone areas in Australia and one which covers and affects not only my electorate of Greenway but the electorates of Lindsay, Chifley, and Macarthur.

Long-time residents say it is simply a matter of time before the Hawkesbury floods. Local wisdom says we are due for a one-in-100-year flood. An environmental impact report by Australian Water Technologies, written back in July 1995, says that a repeat of the floods in 1867, when the Hawkesbury River rose by 63 feet—19.26 metres—would mean there would be 42,000 people left homeless and an estimated 567 deaths, plus destruction of property and infrastructure. The 1867 flood was the largest flood on record. Towns likely to be impacted are Richmond, Windsor and Wilberforce, to name a few. While flood evacuation routes are helpful, much more is needed to save lives and minimise damage to property, not to mention the environmental damage that could be avoided by proper funding and an effective plan. I am holding the Labor government to account not just for the funding that has been promised but also for a comprehensive river system recovery package. (Time expired)