Forward thinking needed

IT might be difficult to believe, but the year 2030 is not that far away.

Barwon Water knows this, and is keen to ensure others in the Geelong region understand the need to start thinking that far ahead.

Last week the water authority launched its Water For Our Future campaign.

The first objective of this project is to make people understand that the sources of water supply presently used in this region will be insufficient come 2030.

Our climate is getting hotter and drier, and the stats show less rain is falling.

It’s true that Barwon Water’s customers are not as profligate with their water as they once were, but rapid population growth throughout the region means demand is increasing.

So, there is less water flowing into each of the authority’s reservoirs, and more being extracted from them.

Once the community understands the problem, Barwon Water will turn the conversation to identifying solutions; finding ways our region can better preserve its water and find more sources and storage measures.

It promises to be a wideranging, spirited and intriguing discussion, and one this newspaper looks forward to documenting.

Barwon Water has contended that all options are presently on the table and will be considered.

“We know that we are going to have to have a major augmentation, an additional source of water for our region, as early as 2029,” Barwon Water managing director Tracey Slatter said when she launched Water For Our Future on Friday.

“We’ll plan calmly for that, it’s not a crisis, but it’s important … because if we value our environment, we’ll need to think of more diverse (water) sources.”

It’s only 10 years since this region battled the ravages of the millennium drought, and the memories of those dry summers remain raw for many people. In that context, 2030 looms large, and the time is right to prepare for ongoing dry conditions.