Improving Canberra’s Waterways – Up for Comment

Options for improving long-term water quality in the ACT and Murrumbidgee River catchment are now on display for community comment.

“Initial water monitoring and research has identified a range of potential options to improve water quality in each of six priority catchments across the ACT,” ACT Minister for the Environment Simon Corbell said.

Federal Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment, Bob Baldwin, said that the Australian Government had allocated up to $85 million over five years to the ACT Basin Priority Project to improve long-term water quality.

“This funding will reduce the impact of storm water, sediment and other pollutants on the ACT’s waterways, with subsequent flow-on effects downstream to the Murrumbidgee and Murray–Darling river systems,” Mr Baldwin said.

The ACT Government is providing $8.5 million towards the water quality infrastructure.

Mr Corbell said that an open house, staffed by water experts, was being held in each catchment over the next few weeks to inform the community about their local catchment and its water quality issues and to allow people to give their opinions on which options would work for their catchment and community.

The information is also available online.