Unity Water has invited our community to register to have your say on how the Burgess Creek catchment will be managed for the next 30 years.
Registration closes March 2023.
This is an opportunity for the community to meet with Unity Water to share what water matters are important to you and any ideas.
The following is what is important to me and what I will be submitting (please note that this is not the resolved position of council, and is only my opinion):
– I need more information on what is occurring at Burgess Creek to make sensible suggestions.
– I need to know how much treated effluent is being discharged into Burgess Creek over the past 20 years showing annual figures.
– I need to know how much storm water has been directed into Burgess Creek now and over the last 20 years showing annual figures.
– I need to know what the quality of both treated effluent and stormwater.
– I need to know whether these quality standards were mandated by governments and whether our standards are applicable today.
– I need to see independent water testing data to satisfy myself.
– I need to see maps of Sunrise Beach at Burgess Creek over the past 20 years to see the effect on beach erosion in this area.
– I would like to know what other councils around Australia are doing in terms of recycling, creating wetlands, storage and harvesting this water for when the next drought comes and for the bush fire season.
Without the information above I cannot make any informed comments, suggestions, and recommendations. With this information, we can create a future.
We cannot create a future unless we understand the past.
I thank Unity Water for the opportunity to have our say and I encourage you to register your interest by using this link:
communityhub.unitywater.com/water-matters?trk=public_post_main-feed-card_feed-article-content
Post note: In January 2023, my LGAQ motion that backed a push to expand the use of recycled water and that was overwhelmingly supported by the majority of mayors in Queensland, attracted national attention: Mayors Push for recycled water to fight droughts, The Australian, 9.
(This is the opinion of Cr Amelia Lorentson, and does not necessarily represent the views of council. )
