Water is needed in all aspects of life. The general objective is to make certain that adequate supplies of good quality water are maintained for the entire population, while preserving the hydrological, biological and chemical functions of ecosystems, adapting human activities within the capacity limits of nature and combating vectors of water-related diseases.
Murray Darling Basin
The current Murray Darling Basin plan to restrict and remove water from farming communities in those areas is not only irresponsible but could very well threaten our food security in the future. The Hume dam was constructed in response to the Murray running dry in 1922. It seems our forefathers had vision and confidence in man’s ingenuity to overcome these problems something sadly lacking in today’s governments.
Wild Rivers Legislation
The Democratic Labor Party disagrees with the current government’s Wild Rivers legislation and is against the removal of rights from the local indigenous people in those regions.
The DLP would push for the rescinding of this legislation and the reinstatement of the previous agreement with the Northern Land Council.
Water – General
The DLP believes that community water supplies should be free from fluoride and other forms of mass or forced medication. The only exception is when approved by a referendum of the local communities concerned with the issue.
Water and the guaranteed safe supply of it, is a crucial role of government and should never be placed in private hands. The Democratic Labor Party would fight against any government move that proposed such an irresponsible course of action.
We will fight to ensure that Water, the Water Catchment facilities, and all Water-grid systems remain under a Government Department, and not sold off to Private Enterprises, which have only the ‘bank balance’ in mind, and not the welfare of the people.
Freshwater resources are an essential component of the Earth’s hydrosphere and an indispensable part of all terrestrial ecosystems. The freshwater environment is characterised by the hydrological cycle, including floods and droughts, which in some regions have become more extreme and dramatic in their consequences.
The following programme areas are proposed for the freshwater sector:
- Integrated water resources development and management;
- Water resources assessment;
- Protection of water resources, water quality and aquatic ecosystems;
- Drinking-water supply and sanitation;
- Water and sustainable urban development;
- Water for sustainable food production and rural development;
- Impacts of natural climatic cycles on water resources.
The multi-sectorial nature of water resources development in the context of socio-economic development must be recognised, as well as the multi-interest utilisation of water resources for water supply and sanitation, agriculture, industry, urban development, hydropower generation, inland fisheries, transportation, recreation, low and flat lands management and other activities. Rational water utilisation schemes for the development of surface and underground water-supply sources and other potential sources have to be supported by concurrent water conservation and wastage minimization measures. Priority, however, must be accorded to flood prevention and control measures, as well as sedimentation control, where required.
In the case of trans-boundary water resources, there is a need for the States to formulate water resources strategies, prepare water resources action programmes and consider, where appropriate, the harmonisation of those strategies and action programmes.
We oppose the “National Competition Policy”, which encourages privatisation.
(National Competition Policy comes from International Economic Treaties signed through the external affairs power of the Federal Constitution by past Federal Governments with no reference to the Parliament or the People. The legalities of such treaties are questionable. Australian Sovereignty has been usurped/replaced by external sovereignty).
The DLP believes in the continued expansion and integration of our water supplies through management of catchment capabilities and grid networking of such. This involves the increase of dam and weir sites, improvements, repairs and upgrades to existing sites where required, networking of these together in a water-grid system, and improving the maintenance and management of these systems, including suitable ‘de-silting’ programs.
The additional costs of de-silting the catchment facilities (dams and weirs) would be offset by the sale of the silt as “clean fill” for developments and gardens.
Diverting some ‘Large-scale Rainfall Events’ via this grid system to ensure greater water storage in areas of lesser rainfalls for improved viability of Industries in those areas, being of both Primary and Secondary in industry nature. This diversion of Flood waters would also have the added advantage of reducing the siltation and chemical damage to our Great Barrier Reef, as well as our magnificent bays and coastlines, keeping them in better health and condition for our constituents. The increased permanent water in semi-arid areas would also improve rainfall in those areas, and having the added advantage of increasing our percentage of arable land for food production, both for local and overseas markets, but also having the extra bonus of providing for our unique and distinctive native flora and fauna.
We also believe in implementing efficient and workable fish-ladders on all dams and weirs, so that the native species of fish can continue to do their valuable work in maintaining the waterways, both above and below these constructs.
We recognise that not every creek or river should be dammed, as some species of fish require naturally running waterways for breeding, and that these need to be protected.
The DLP will not impose taxes on run-off water collected in tanks, earthen dams, and such, both rurally and domestically, for the consumption by humans and animals, being of both domestic and native kind.
Our Water Policy also supports, as a use of the water reserves, the sustainable hunting and fishing for the purpose of acquiring food for the table. This entails ‘sustainable hunting and fishing’ done in consultation with the largest (by numbers) organisations representing food hunters and food fishers. ‘Commercially viable’ freshwater supplies of fish would also allay the pressure on saltwater species to cater for the table of the consumer.
The DLP will also introduce state-wide programs for the control and removal of introduced fish species that have proven detrimental to our waterways, for example carp and tilapia. The fish thus removed could be sold in commercial outlets, or utilised for fertiliser production as is already done to some extent in south-east QLD now, with the ‘Charlie Carp’ program.
The DLP will ensure the release and/or re-release of native fingerlings to waterways to re-establish native fish populations for the purpose of restoring the natural balance and health of the waterways, as well as providing a source of recreational fishing, being for both food and fun, alongside other recreational facilities, with subsequent tourism benefits to local economies.
We believe that projects like the “Ord River Project” could easily be implemented in Queensland (and other states), with similar benefits to state economies and subsequent employment opportunities.
At the lowest appropriate level, delegation of water resources management, generally, to such a level, in accordance with national legislation, including decentralisation of government services, to local authorities.
Review existing data-collection networks and assess their adequacy, including those that provide real-time data for flood, drought and severe weather forecasting, and then seek to improve areas of inefficiency.
The DLP will ensure that alternatives to current water catchment methods would be properly investigated, and viable options implemented – especially those giving environmental and cost benefits.
The DLP would also investigate such things as the “66% Policy” on the Brisbane River, where twice the water used by the SE corner of Qld is released into Moreton Bay, supposedly for the ‘Wetlands’, which it never services, as it only runs out to sea.
The Democratic Labor Party also believes in greater transparency of Government Departments regarding their financial commitments and current projects on these matters.