Water legislation is the focus of the next SLA Forum
Protection of our water is essential to continued human habitation in Australia. There are competing demands from drinking and bathing to agriculture, mining and industry. All three levels of government are involved in establishing policy to protect and distribute our water.
Come to the next Sustainable Living Armidale (SLA) monthly public forum to hear our Federal MP, Tony Windsor, discuss his efforts to ensure our aquifers, ground water and rivers are protected from new mining developments.
A co-operative approach between the Commonwealth and the various state governments was attempted first, but the NSW government baulked at ensuring advice from a federally-funded Independent Expert Scientific Committee was properly considered as part of the NSW mining approvals process.
Since then, legislation has been passed by the Federal House of Representatives and is before the Senate to ensure Coal Seam Gas projects and coal mines can’t go ahead until independent scientific assessments determine they WON’T damage our water resources.
“It is important for us to understand what this means in practical terms and to what degree this will lead to greater scientific scrutiny of our entire water system,” says SLA’s Patsy Asch. “Mr. Windsor played a central role in formulating this legislation so we are fortunate that he can explain the policy in person.”
Mr. Windsor will be speaking on Thursday, May 2nd at 7pm at Kent House, opposite Central Park on Faulkner Street. All welcome. Light supper, gold coin donation appreciated.
It will be great to hear Tony’s reasonable and well informed views on this subject. He has been a fantastic support on many of the projects I am engaged in. A man of integrity at a time we most need it, without the gloss..
There have been some teething issues since replies to posts have been turned on in the Sustainable Living Armidale’s (SLA) Facebook page. Replies in Facebook will go through approval for general consumption before being cross-posted to the SLA website. Apologise for any offense this may have caused. That said SLA will continue to encourage conversation in the community around the subject of sustainability.