Save the Weedy Seadragon. Modernise Victoria’s water policy to allow use of recycled water

Save the Weedy Seadragon. Modernise Victoria’s water policy to allow use of recycled water

Started
13 September 2022
Petition to
Steve Dimopoulos (Victorian Environment Minister) and 4 others
Signatures: 16,046Next Goal: 25,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by John Gemmill

Every day, around Victoria’s coastline we dump a toxic cocktail of pollutants that includes microplastics, harmful chemicals, heavy metals and germs that can have catastrophic impacts on marine life and human beings. We are killing our oceans and risking our health.

The Clean Ocean Foundation is an environmental charity made up of families, fishermen and surfers who want to restore our oceans to their former health. Our intensive research has found that advanced wastewater treatment plants can provide purified recycled water and stop ocean dumping. These plants are already successful in Perth, Brisbane and 33 other cities in the world.

In the lead up to this year’s elections, we are calling on Victorian parties and candidates to modernize Victorian water policy to allow use of recycled water as has been done in WA and Queensland.

The Weedy Seadragon is directly impacted by the Victorian outfall - its numbers are in decline and the species is considered "near threatened."

We want upgrades on the Eastern Treatment Plant to remove all contaminants from wastewater. The 2016 upgrade to this plant is failing to purify the water - but we are 9/10ths of the way there and just need the last $60m funding. This upgrade will stop toxic Melbourne water from being dumped from an outfall near Gunnamatta, Mornington Peninsula National Park.

Right now, our rivers and oceans are receiving “forever chemicals” that can’t be broken down. They are a huge threat to humans as well as marine wildlife. There are chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reduced fertility.

Currently, the solution to increased demand for water is touted as building more environmentally damaging and expensive desalination plants on Australia’s precious coastlines. The government can save up to $500 million every year in taxpayer money by instead closing the loop and recycling water.

If we build more expensive, energy-guzzling desalination plants, our rivers and oceans will never be free of needless pollution.

Every day we waste brings us closer to the next drought and increases the risk of knee jerk decisions based on political expediency rather than on an evidenced based approach-to water supply issues. 

It’s time to stop ocean pollution and achieve a clean water supply for Australians.

Find out more here Clean Ocean Clean Water

 

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Signatures: 16,046Next Goal: 25,000
Support now
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