Vic: Cut water use by 30 per cent, Melburnians told

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2006
Vic: Cut water use by 30 per cent, Melburnians told

Melburnians will be asked to cut their water use by 30 per cent over the next 15 years
.. to help stave off a looming shortfall in the city's supply.

On-the-spot fines of 105 dollars will be introduced .. to encourage consumers to follow
permanent water saving rules now in place.

Victoria's Water Minister JOHN THWAITES has announced the measures today .. as part
of a plan to counter dwindling water supplies.

The plan covers Melbourne as well as central southern Victoria .. including Geelong
.. Ballarat and parts of Gippsland.





It's expected 330 billion litres of water can be saved under the plan .. and an extra
20 billion litres of that will be sent down the Yarra River each year to boost the health
of the river.

But Mr THWAITES says supplies to the state's irrigators won't be cut in order to create
extra flows into the Yarra.

AAP RTV dr/gfr/tm

KEYWORD: WATER VIC (MELBOURNE)

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