Goulburn in New South Wales has been hit hard by the current drought; the water levels in local dams were as low as ten per cent of capacity in 2005. Strict water restrictions have been in place for eight years, with level five restrictions now meaning all outdoor use of town water is banned. Faced with these challenging conditions, the Goulburn Mulwaree Council has worked hard to conserve the town’s water supplies, helping local residents cut water use to just 150 litres per person per day – around one-third of the average use in Australia’s capital cities.
In recognition of these fantastic results, congratulations must go to the Goulburn Mulwaree Council, the winner of the 2006 Local Government Community Water Grants – Water Saving Award. This honour was shared with Brisbane City Council, recognised for its efforts to improve water quality through the Rocks Riverside Park Water Mining Project.
By winning the Community Water Grants – Water Saving Award, Goulburn Mulwaree Council went into the running for the 2006 Local Government National Award for Excellence. Council’s commitment to working in partnership with the community has led to its great success.
Many Local Governments have made great water savings with the help of funding from Community Water Grants. South Australia’s Berri Barmera Council was successful in Round 2 of Community Water Grants and will soon begin work on a waste water reuse project.
The Berri Barmera Council will build specially designed lagoons to treat household waste water from six Septic Tank Effluent Drainage Schemes (STEDS), as well as wastewater from a nearby winery. This project will see 100 per cent of the treated water reused to irrigate the district’s golf greens and parks.
Recycled wastewater from the winery will also be used to irrigate economically viable crops. This project will receive $163,064 in funding through Community Water Grants, and is expected to save 153 million litres of water each year.
Round 3 of Community Water Grants will be launched in mid 2007.
For more information on how your community can save, reuse or improve water quality, visit www.communitywatergrants.gov.au or call 1800 780 730.
