| INTRODUCTION |
Our objective is to assist and support Clubs in developing projects to improve water management in local communities, as well as to provide ideas for water management projects in the wider world.
The committee is lead by PP Kevin Ritchie (East Shepparton).
RI Past President Bill Boyd (2006-07) encoraged us to foster environmental water management. Water is an increasingly scarce resource, and it is one which is essential for communities across the world. Rotary International and individual clubs have the ability to assist local communities to access and better manage water resources to meet their needs and suuport their long term development.
We would like to encourage all Clubs to consider projects this Rotary year which will assist your own local communities to improve water quality, health and availability. This is becoming an increasingly important issue of concern to governments at national,state and local levels, and to local communities across this district. It is also, of course, an increasingly critical issue for local communities across the world, and especially in developing countries.
As an immediate start, the committee wants to draw the attention of clubs to the availability of grants provided to local communities by the Commonwealth Government under its Community Water Grants programme, as outlined below.
"The Australian Government is currently seeking applications for its Community Water Grants programme. Community groups are invited to apply for a grant of up to $50,000 for an on-ground project that will play a positive role in tackling Australia's water challenges.
This programme encourages better water use and improvements in water health and quality through practical on-the-ground projects, such as reducing pollutants reaching our streams, and water recycling and efficiency initiatives.
Over $61 million was approved in the last round to fund 1,750 water saving, recycling and treatment projects. Communities across Australia are using Community Water Grants to implement simple, practical ideas that make a real difference to their local water resources.
The online application form is available.
Promotional brochures are also available.
* visit www.australia.gov.au/communitywatergrants
* phone 1800 780 730, or
* email cwg@deh.gov.au
A Community Water Grant is a great way for you to make a lasting contribution to your local community and the environment."
A list of some of the projects which were funded under Round 1 for local community groups in northern Victoria, including schools, clubs, hospitals and other local groups, listed here, give examples of the types of local projects you could work on for funding under this programme.
The committee will follow up with you again in a few weeks, but please also bear in mind that National Water Week is held across Australia in October. Please see http://www.savewater.com.au/waterweek/ . This would be a great week to make sure that you have a speaker who can provide your club with water information, and inspire some thinking about what you can do in your local community. In the near future, we will provide a list of some speakers who may be appropriate for your club to consider for this purpose.
In addition, please give active thought at a club level to a few other actions which are very elevant to better water management in our community and district. These include:
1. Nominate a student for the District Environmental Summer Science School.
Go to: http://www.nysf.edu.au
2. Consider the international needs as well. Plenty of projects are available for club involvement, but especially consider the possibility of providing funding support for Water Aid. Water Aid Australia is an international charity dedicated to helping some of the world's poorest people escape the stranglehold of poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation. It is heavily supported by the Victorian water industry and is doing work in the Asia Pacific region. Water Aid's site is http://www.wateraid.org/australia/default.asp . More information on this later.
Any of the committee members are available to discuss these or other project possibilities with you at any time - our contact details are in the District Directory. We would also be most interested to hear of any other projects which clubs may have under way, and which we could share with others as suggestions or ideas. My email address is kevin.ritchie@dse.vic.gov.au
As a society, the increasing pressure on our water resources and the health of our rivers and streams through competition for all of the needs we have for water is a very important issue for us to tackle. The current dry climate conditions, and the possibilities of future shortages if the climate change forecasts eventuate, provide us all with very real concerns here and in our immediate future. This is an area where Rotary Clubs can work effectively with local communities to raise awareness, and encourage local action to address these concerns.
PP Kevin Ritchie (Ann)
Environmental Water Management Committee, District 9790
(P)(03) 5826 5434
Rotary Club of East Shepparton
