Liberals MLA Nicole Lawder calls for annual water report to combat ongoing Lake Tuggeranong issues

The report from the shadow environment minister says, while the ACT government had spent millions of dollars on water quality treatment assets over nearly 10 years, very little effective performance monitoring had been done.

It said despite University of Canberra and Alluvium Consulting studies showing waterway systems, including gross pollutant traps, floating wetlands and rain gardens, had not achieved the desired outcomes, money continued to be allocated for new assets.

Ms Lawder said it was time to take a new approach to improving water quality in Canberra lakes and waterways to ensure families could enjoy them in the future.

"I remember when my family used to go for a swim in Lake Tuggeranong and it's disappointing that families today can't share those same wonderful memories," she said.

"This is an incredibly complex issue and the government has repeatedly used flashy announcements of new projects and funding to try convince residents that they're doing something.

"Regardless of what the government's actions are in this space, Lake Tuggeranong continues to suffer from very poor water quality."

The report, compiled by Independent Water Management Services' Ross Knee, outlines a number of alternative solutions to improving water quality in the ACT, including an annual water quality report.

An annual water report is currently compiled by ACT Waterwatch, a community lead initiative managed by the Environment Directorate with funding from ACT government and Icon Water.

A New Approach to Improving Water Quality in Canberra Lakes and Waterways also suggests lifting the water quality targets in the ACT, treating water from upstream to downstream and reducing nutrients from entering the lakes.

Grass clippings and tree foliage are thought to contribute to high-nutrient levels in ACT waterways, which can lead to the algae blooms that keep Lake Tuggeranong closed to swimmers for much of the year.

Increased street sweeping and ensuring the new Office for Water has "teeth", has also been suggested.

The ACT government has agreed to explore additional methods for preventing clippings entering waterways, after a motion was put forward by Greens MLA Johnathan Davis in November last year.

The ACT government in April committed an additional $14 million in funding to top up its Healthy Waterways program through to June 2023.

The funding brought the total value of the program to $20.5 million since the first stage of Healthy Waterways was completed in June 2021. The ACT Greens ran on election from of committing to spend $30 million on Healthy Waterways projects.

Current projects under consideration include the establishment of a subsurface wetland on Belconnen oval and the naturalisation of concrete drains.

Regarding publication of the report, University of Canberra water researcher Fiona Dyer said it was great to see both sides of government recognise ACT water management was a complex problem that required a coordinated approach.

"That includes getting the community on board," Professor Dyer said.

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