NEWS DESK
Water main course on business menu Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
Humbled: Greh Hunt accepts his Best Minister in the World award at the Wolrd Government Summit, Dubai.
Best Minister award for Hunt’s carbon cuts FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt has been named Best Minister in the World for his role, as Australia’s Environment Minister, in reducing carbon emissions by 93 million tonnes. The award was announced and presented to Mr Hunt at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Tuesday 9 February. “I am genuinely humbled to receive the award. I am however deeply proud that this inaugural award is being presented to an environment minister. The environment is our common heritage, our land, our home and our identity,” Mr Hunt said in his acceptance speech. Mr Hunt is the inaugural recipient of the annual award introduced at the summit “to honour the best minister in the world who has led a new and successful qualitative government project with positive results for citizens. It is also aimed at promoting best practices that would inspire other government leaders to implement their own successful projects”. The award was presented to Mr Hunt by prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Nominations for the best minister award came
from more than 80 countries. UAE ministers were excluded from the first award. Mr Hunt said the UAE – an oil producer – “is promoting renewable industry while supporting research in clean technology”. “There are great challenges. However, I am fundamentally optimistic. In that context, we all learn from each other and perhaps there are some policies and programs we have in Australia that maybe can be implemented domestically and internationally.” The 93 million tonnes of emissions reduction attributed to Mr Hunt is the result of the Emissions Reduction Fund supported by $2.55 billion for the federal government to buy carbon abatement at the lowest cost through a reverse auction. Mr Hunt says the scheme’s two auctions achieved 93 million tonnes of emissions reduction from 275 practical projects at an average price of $13 a tonne. While Mr Hunt’s efforts receive international recognition and acclaim, back home his constituents are ot always so appreciative of his political stance. “Hunt stands firm on official asylum
seeker line,” Page 11
TOPICS to be discussed at a lunchtime forum on Friday include ideas and strategies to help businesses on the Mornington Peninsula. Water – its source, distribution, and cost – is high on the agenda. Nepean MP Martin Dixon listed the key topics as: Creating a year-round, economically selfsufficient tourism industry; Accessing a sustainable and cost effective water supply; Developing jobs, employment and training for local industry; Assessing growth opportunities for agri-business and/or agri-tourism, and Assessing the costs and limitations of doing business locally. Business and community leaders are expected to attend the informal session at the Nepean Country Club, Boneo. Water supply on the peninsula – on the plains and in the hinterland – will be a focal point. Mr Dixon plans to outline a long term water infrastructure concept being discussed with the Minister for Water’s office. “The aim is to establish bipartisan community agreement on a broad plan to end the dumping of Class A treated water at Boags Rocks and get that much needed water, at an affordable price, into the hinterland of Red Hill, Red Hill South, Shoreham and Main Ridge – wherever it is needed,” he said. “Farmers up there could drastically increase
production with a reliable, cost effective water supply, and this would have the knock-on benefit of restoring environmental flows into our hinterland creeks and could do much to assist the issues currently being endured down at Balnarring Beach.” Mr Dixon said feedback would be used to develop long term policy objectives for the peninsula. Melbourne Water last week could not confirm the amount of water being discharged at Boags Rocks, near Gunnamatta. “Initial discussions seem to indicate it is a significant amount and, yes, it is Class A designed for agricultural use,” Mr Dixon’s office said. “It is actually drinkable, although Melbourne Water recommend not to.” South East Water says it provides around 2200 million litres of recycled water annually to businesses and non-residential customers across the Mornington Peninsula: from Frankston to Boneo and across to Somers and Merricks. Melbourne Water’s Eastern Treatment Plant treats around 40 per cent of metropolitan Melbourne’s sewage – around 350 million litres a day. The discharge at Boags Rocks, near Gunnamatta – whatever its amount – is expected to meet EPA Victoria licence conditions. Around 6000 million litres of recycled water from the Eastern Treatment Plant is used for agriculture, golf courses, public open space watering, commercial laundering, and residential dual-pipe applications, such as garden watering, washing machines and toilet flushing, much of it on the peninsula. The lunchtime forum is at Nepean Country Club Browns Rd, Boneo. Details: 5986 6661.
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Mornington News 16 February 2016
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