Kay Hull (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to say how pleased I was to announce almost $700,000 worth of water-saving initiatives in my electorate last week. This brings to 54 the total number of projects, and almost $2 million has come into the electorate in rounds 1 and 2. I commend the communities in the Riverina who are helping to ensure a sustainable and waterwise future. The projects will promote waterwise use and increase community awareness about water efficiency, conservation, water recycling and water health. It is expected that nationally community water project grants will save many thousands of megalitres of water per year and that community groups will donate 560,000 volunteer hours to implement their projects.

I was fortunate in this round to have grants made to Coolamon Sport and Recreation Club; TAFE New South Wales; Riverina Institute; Marrar Australian Football Club; Narrandera High School; Griffith Public School; Griffith City Council; Gundagai Pastoral and Agriculture Society; Yanco Agricultural High School; Colleambally Aged Persons Accommodation Association; Leeton Whitton United Australian Football Club; the Diocese of Wagga Wagga as Trustee for St Joseph’s Narrandera; St Mary’s Primary School Hay; Hay Public School; Leeton Golf Club Ltd; Murrumbidgee Shire Council; Narrandera Landcare Inc.; and Ariah Park Mirrool Football Club, which did such a terrific job.

I went out to Ariah Park Mirrool Football Club to see how wisely they had spent the last grant money they received. They have built a fabulous dam and they have collected all the run-off from great stockpiles of wheat and grain. Unfortunately, there are no great stockpiles of wheat and grain there now, but there certainly will be again in the future. This grant was used to collect all the rainwater—when we get it, and we will get it—off the massive sheds and milling areas. That is being used for the entire process in Marrar. Marrar has been a fabulous asset for us. They have been able to recycle water for their entire community, and I am very proud of their performance. I am proud of all of my electorate for getting involved in our community waterwise grants and providing to communities not only water-saving efficiencies but education on the fact that, as a community, we need to use our water in the wisest way. The government is assisting through this grants project.