Earlier shift to water limits

TOOWOOMBA residents will be moved to medium level water restrictions before the end of the year, after the council introduced a new roll-out date if summer rain did not arrive in time.

Councillors yesterday voted to introduce medium-level restrictions for Toowoomba, Millmerran, Haden and Kulpi on December 2, bringing those communities into line with the rest of the region.

Water and waste general manager Damian Platts also introduced a new, more “userfriendly” document to replace the four previous guidelines.

He described the ramping up of restrictions as necessary considering the severity of the current drought impacting the region.

“The revised Residential Water Restrictions is a more user friendly document presented in simplified language,” he wrote in his report.

“The water restriction targets have been tailored to be representative of the water restriction measures proposed.

“The current drought is more severe than the Millennium drought, and more effective measures are warranted to ensure water security and minimise adverse impacts on the community.”

Medium-level restrictions have also been ramped up, with residents only able to use 175 litres a day as opposed to the previous 200 litres.

Water and waste chair Cr Nancy Sommerfield said the changes were not likely to be too severe, with the average daily use in the Toowoomba area being 185 litres per person currently.

“They are currently using 185L per day, so it won’t be that big of a challenge,” she said.

“The important one is people do not have to rinse their jars or cans before they put them in the recycling bins – that is a change under the restrictions.

tom.gillespie@thechronicle.com.au

“We are in a drought that doesn’t look like it’s changing any time soon.”

Cr Sommerfield said the council would focus on improving water use among business-owners in the coming year.

“We will be focusing on businesses in the future, something that we haven’t done previously,” she said.

“It’s about working with them to identify areas where they’re wasting their water.”

THE CURRENT DROUGHT IS MORE SEVERE THAN THE MILLENNIUM DROUGHT, AND MORE EFFECTIVE MEASURES ARE WARRANTED...

DAMIAN PLATTS