Rescue Our Rivers
We have seen huge changes in rainfall and water supply over the past decade.
As our climate dries, competition for water continues to increase, and our rivers get lower and lower. Some have even stopped flowing.
But rivers with enough water are the key to water security.
Healthy, flowing rivers will mean we can still expect clean water to come out of the taps in our homes. And rivers with enough water to sustain themselves equal prosperous regional communities.
So what have our state governments been doing to help deliver a future where water supplies are safe and rivers are healthy?
They’ve been building expensive desalination plants and pipelines. Promising water for our rivers that they never deliver. And fighting to maintain an irrigation system and old ways of doing business, in drought-affected areas that need a new vision for their economic future.
But they’re missing the point: ensuring our rivers have enough water in them to sustain themselves is the fastest and most economical way to securing a safe water future.
We’re doing our bit.
We’re taking shorter showers. We’re installing tanks and water efficient appliances. We’re bucketing recycled water on to our gardens.
It’s time for our government to do theirs.
In the run up to the 2010 state election we developed a plan to Rescue Our Rivers. Because, it’s not too late.
We wanted the state government to
1. Give the new, but thirsty, River Red Gum parks a decent drink from 2012
2. Secure water for our rivers so they flow again
3. Improve the Victorian Water Act so that it protects our rivers’ rights to water.
Sadly, not a lot has changed since the election and most of our demands still stand. However there is some good news. Since being elected the Baillieu government has increased rebates on water-efficient appliances, and has followed through with some of the promises made by the previous government to return some water to rivers. They've also appointed an Environmental Water Holder to make sure that water which is saved by things like more efficient irrigation is then delivered to the bits of our river ecosystems which need it the most. We commend them for these positive actions.
You can read more about the Baillieu government's performance so far on our EnviroWatch pages
Read our 2010 plan to Rescue Our Rivers
Here’s some of the why and how
Because let’s face it, despite the recent rain, this water crisis is not going away.
More resources
Prior to the 2010 state election, we analysed where the major parties stand on securing water for the River Red Gum parks in northern Victoria. Download the paper here
And for more info about why river health is so important, have a look here.
What’s more, there’s plenty of other ways to meet Melbourne water needs and to make us a leading water-sensitive city. Check out Water Security, Healthy Rivers - Environment Victoria's Vision for Melbourne.
