Due to unprecedented drought fuelled by the climate emergency facing Australia, the NSW Government must immediately impose water restrictions on Sydney residents, Greens MP and water spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said today.
"We are experiencing the toughest drought on record, made worse by a hotter climate. If we are going to get water restrictions in ten weeks time when dam levels reach 50 percent, it's ludicrous for the government to just sit back and just watch dam levels drop while not imposing them now," said Ms Faehrmann.
"The government doesn't know when this drought will end. No one does. And with the climate emergency now upon us, who knows what state our water supplies will be in in one, two or three years from now.
"We need to save more water starting now. I'm calling on the Water Minister, Katrina Hodgkinson, to immediately impose water restrictions on Sydney's residents.
"The climate emergency means we have less water for Sydney's growing population. A smart government would be thinking decades ahead and educating and encouraging its citizens to live with less water.
"Some towns in New South Wales are on Level 2, 3 and even 4 water restrictions, yet Sydney is still has its Water Wise Rules, with no penalties for those who use water recklessly. I would think most Sydney residents would not mind being told to restrict their water usage when they see whole towns west of the divide running out of water," said Ms Faehrmann.
