COUNCILS RELEASE LONG TERM WATER PLAN FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils today released a preliminary working draft of WaterPlan 2050, the roadmap for ensuring a safe, reliable, secure and sustainable water system capable of servicing the Central Coast over the next 45 years.

While extensive work has been done to manage the current drought, WaterPlan 2050 aims to look ahead and secure our water supply system into the future.

'WaterPlan 2050 identifies a range of potential options for developing the Central Coast's water supply system to meet future demand,' explained Gosford City Council's Mayor, Laurie Maher.

'Through a combination of these options, the two Councils can develop the region's water supply system in a number of different ways, each of which has its own specific strengths and weaknesses.

'Having identified these available building blocks for the future, the challenge now is for us to select the most appropriate combination of actions that can be implemented progressively over the next four decades.

'In seeking to select the right approach we also need to take into account factors such as the continuing shift in climatic conditions, likely future demand for town water, the need to protect the health of our rivers, creeks and wetlands as well as future NSW and Federal Government water policy decisions.

'We also have to ensure we maintain the quality of our drinking water through a mixture of natural and technology based processes,' said Laurie Maher.

The preliminary working draft of WaterPlan 2050 is being made available to the community now so they have sufficient time to give each of the building blocks highlighted in the Plan 'fair consideration'.

'By mid February 2007 we need the community to give us a clear signal as to what approach the would prefer us to take, particularly in relation to desalination and water recycling, to achieve the best social, economic and environmental outcomes,' said Wyong Shire Council's Mayor, Bob Graham.

'There is no simple answer to securing the Central Coast's water supply system over the next forty years. Some of the options can be combined and all of them include water re-use where practical as well as ongoing demand management.

'The challenge is for us to choose the right combination while still remaining as flexible as possible so we can respond effectively to new technology, further climate change and new government policies in relation to water.'

The future direction of our water supply system has already undergone significant community consultation and involvement, including the formation of a Community Liaison Group. This community involvement needs to continue over the coming months.

A joint meeting of Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils on 6 December 2006 resolved to distribute a preliminary working draft of the WaterPlan 2050 document to enable further community input.

This preliminary working draft will be mailed out to key stakeholders and interest groups and will also be available for download from the Councils' websites and at Customer Service Centres and Libraries across the Central Coast.

Reports on the draft document will be presented to Gosford City Council its meeting tonight (Tuesday 12 December) and Wyong Shire Council tomorrow (Wednesday 13 December).

Gosford and Wyong Councillors will also review the preliminary working draft of WaterPlan 2050. All councillor and community comments will then be reflected in a revised draft document which will be the subject of a more formal public exhibition process. The two Councils hope to make a final decision on the way forward for the Central Coast's water supply system by about July 2007.

Written feedback is invited from the community between now and 16 February 2007.

'WaterPlan 2050 will remain an evolving document even after it is formally adopted by the two Councils,' explained Laurie Maher and Bob Graham.

'This will give us the flexibility we need to bring forward options, if necessary, to ensure we always have sufficient drinking water to meet demand irrespective of climatic conditions.'

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Media Contacts:            Janet Saunders - 02 4304 7075 or 0438 191 328) (Gosford)

                                      Lisa McDermott – 02 4350 5705 or 0438 98 445 (Wyong)