Uralla Shire has just experienced the driest period since rainfall records began in the late 1800s. This has put enormous pressure on our water supplies – both in terms of the security of supply and quality of drinking water. In this context, it is crucial that we build a community consensus on how to transition to a more secure water supply, as we will more than likely face this challenge again.
Grant to fund resources, focus groups & project officer
A $30,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Increasing Resilience to Climate Change program is enabling ZNET Plus to coordinate a community consultation project –Let’s Talk About Water.
This unique ZNET Plus project (conducted in collaboration with the University of NSW Global Water Institute and Uralla Shire Council) will address this critical challenge by exploring with our community options for water security. The project will map community values and how these relate to possible responses to water scarcity.
The grant money will be used to develop information packs for residents and to organise interviews, focus groups and workshops, as well as to employ a part-time project coordinator. It is hoped that over the next 12 – 18 months, a range of rural and town residents, business owners and people of all ages will get to voice their thoughts on water security.
The team will also be sharing information with those in nearby regions.
Meet the project team
Sandra Eady, Carol Shantal, Bob Crouch and Heidi McElnea are heading up the project for ZNET Plus. We are lucky to be joined Prof. Matthew Kearnes and Prof. Stuart Khan from University of New South Wales’ Global Water Institute to provide technical expertise.
Rainwater harvesting, town water storage, ground water, recycled water and other water-saving measures will all be on the table for discussion.
Together we will explore our community’s values, views and concerns for different options for water security. The ‘Water Consultation Blueprint’ will be shared with Uralla Shire Council and will help guide subsequent work.
For more information, follow ZNET Uralla on Facebook, sign up to our newsletter below or get in touch with Heidi McElnea, Water Project Officer. Heidi welcomes calls or emails from anyone who wishes to find out more or to be involved in the consultation process.
Email: water(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)zneturalla.org.au
Phone: 0474297790
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Watering can photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
