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Water Grants Up For Grabs |
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Businesses, local councils and community groups across Victoria will share in $10 million in grants from the Victorian State Government for new stormwater and recycled water projects.
Water Minister Tim Holding today launched the $6 million first round of the grants program which will target large water users to help save billions of litres of drinking water.
“Stormwater and recycled water are valuable resources which help reduce demand on our drinking water supplies,” Mr Holding said.
“The Stormwater and Urban Recycling Fund will provide funding for large scale and smaller projects where drinking quality water is not needed.”
The first round of the Fund is open to all non-residential water customers that use more than 10 million litres per year.
Another round of funding will be available for businesses, community groups and sporting clubs for smaller, localised projects.
Mr Holding said industry and local government are working hard to reduce their use of drinking water and this Fund will support their initiatives for more sustainable water use.
“We will provide up to $1 million in funding, matching a company or council’s investment dollar for dollar,” Mr Holding said.
“The amount of funding for projects will be influenced by the volume of drinking water that can be saved from the project.”
Mr Holding said industry – which uses around 30 per cent of Melbourne’s water – had already made significant water savings.
“Melbourne’s industrial water users saved 9 billion litres in 2006/07 with substantial savings made by businesses in towns right across the State.”
“All non-residential users of more than 10 million litres of water per year are required to develop and implement a Water Management Action Plan (waterMAP) which includes water savings targets.
The Fund builds on the Government’s earlier initiative, the Stormwater and Urban Water Conservation Fund, which has funded 66 projects since 2004 and is saving more than 2 billion litres of drinking water each year.
Parks Victoria was the recipient of two grants to the value of $384,000 from the Victorian Government for stormwater projects at Albert Park Lake.
Stormwater, which previously flowed into Port Phillip Bay, is now being captured and stored in the Lake for watering sportsgrounds - saving up to 300 million litres of drinking water every year.
Mr Holding said existing recycled water and stormwater projects were making a significant difference to water supplies across the State.
“Melbourne’s use of recycled water is growing – up from two per cent in 1999 to more than 14 per cent today with a target of recycling 20 per cent of wastewater by 2010,” he said.
“Recycled water and stormwater are being used for a wide range of non-drinking purposes including manufacturing, car washing, sportsgrounds and for residential developments.
“Regional centres like Bendigo, Gippsland and Ballarat are undertaking recycled water infrastructure projects which are saving water and providing a solution to water restrictions.
“A key component of the Government’s Next Stage of the Government’s Water Plan is a $300 million upgrade of Melbourne’s Eastern Treatment Plant to provide more than 100 billion litres of recycled water by 2012.”
Water authorities and the Brumby Government also provide grants to community groups, individuals, research organisations and businesses through the Smart Water Fund.
Since its inception in 2002, the Smart Water Fund has provided close to $20 million in grants to over 120 projects for water conservation, water recycling, research and development projects and bio-solids management projects.
A further $5 million will be awarded from the Smart Water Fund later this year.
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