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Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchment areas relative to other risks

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Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchment a... - 29 October 2008 5:51:40   
Terry Fuller

 

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Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Hamersley, Western Australia
Status: offline 		Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchment areas relative to other risks

The findings of a report commissioned by DEC and DSR to address divergent views on Policy 13 and give an independent, balanced analysis of the information available about recreation in drinking water catchments include:-

• There is no published evidence linking recreational land use in Public Drinking Water Supply Areas to negative impacts on downstream drinking water supply quality;

• Blanket ban of all recreation does not recognise the potential for low risk activity, runs counter to international good practice and an integrated approach to catchment management.

Lots more interesting stuff in that report.

Recfishwest members will get the link in Casting Around the Internet with Recfishwest Issue 41 out today 29 October

For earlier versions of "Casting Around..." see http://www.recfishwest.org.au/CastingAround.htm

Also an article today in the West http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=105042

quote:

The Department of Water is set to review the recreation ban and fishing groups and bushwalkers are pushing for the policy to be relaxed. Recfishwest executive director Frank Prokop yesterday accused the Department of Water and the Water Corporation of hypocrisy.

“We want to overturn the draconian and opaque management regime that the Department of Water and Water Corporation have used in managing our surface water sources,” he said. “The health impacts have been grossly overstated… because they don’t want to manage the risk.

“We’ve always said how can you have mining on the edge of Samson Brook dam, a water supply dam, and say that’s acceptable but someone who wants to bush walk in the catchment is too high risk?”

Mr Prokop said his members would like to fish at drinking water dams such as Stirling Dam in Harvey, Samson Brook dam, south of Waroona, and Harris dam, near Collie.

TerryF
=====
Beavering away in the background.......
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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 6:35:42   
Frank Prokop

 

Posts: 208
Joined: 5 February 2004
Status: offline 		Page 3 Today's West - also on 6PR at 8:30 am as the big story.  Finally some traction.  Thanks to DSR and yes DEC  for taking a strong stance on this issue. 

Frank

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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 6:52:49   
Steve Anderson


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From: South Yunderup, Western Australia
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quote:

Mr Prokop said his members would like to fish at drinking water dams such as Stirling Dam in Harvey, Samson Brook dam, south of Waroona, and Harris dam, near Collie.


Dont forget Nth Dandalup , a little jewel of a dam I've always wanted to fish , not to sure if it's a drinking water dam but it's certainly a no access dam.


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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 7:07:39   
Scott Coghlan


Posts: 2400
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia
Status: offline 		Yes, this is the issue I raised over the weekend.
Will certainly listen to 6PR at 8.30.
Full PDF of report is available here:
http://www.westernangler.com.au/public/review_recreation_access_to_drinking_water.pdf


< Message edited by Scott Coghlan -- 29 October 2008 8:16:10 >

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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 7:43:04   
Scott Coghlan


Posts: 2400
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia
Status: offline 		Frank is on air now.

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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 8:06:10   
Scott Coghlan


Posts: 2400
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia
Status: offline 		How was the stupidity of the first caller, Debbie.
Clearly had no idea of what the report said, but came up will sorts of conclusions about how recreational users will destroy these dams. There'll be fights, drunken behaviour, people throwing rubbish in the dam, etc, etc. At least Simon pointed out that it was a not a pub!
And then she said people already fish them all anyway cos there are no rangers?? Eh? Wouldn't that be an argument for increasing management?
And they called Frank 'Ray' in the news!


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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 8:11:38   
Steve Anderson


Posts: 2294
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: South Yunderup, Western Australia
Status: offline 		Still listening , waiting to hear what the Premier has to say.

Also waiting to hear your views Scotty .

2 negative callers already and neither had a clue on the managements issue's that could be put in place to make this work .

Needs some positive callers of support for the Premier to comment on.






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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 29 October 2008 8:26:56   
Scott Coghlan


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From: Perth, Western Australia
Status: offline
quote:

Still listening , waiting to hear what the Premier has to say.

Also waiting to hear your views Scotty .

2 negative callers already and neither had a clue on the managements issue's that could be put in place to make this work .

Needs some positive callers of support for the Premier to comment on.


STeve, I have spoken to Karl Langdon about having a chat about it on Saturday.
I am sure we will canvas it on the Spirit Fishing Show on Saturday too (6am on Spirit Network around WA).
Needless to say this is all about maximising social benefit, seems a logical goal to me.



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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 30 October 2008 7:53:03   
Frank Prokop

 

Posts: 208
Joined: 5 February 2004
Status: offline 		What a disgraceful Editorial today. To link recreational access in dams to drinking treated sewerage is irresponsible journalism at best and better suited to an English tabloid!

I am penning my personal reply today.

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Post #: 9
RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 30 October 2008 8:18:26   
Frank Prokop

 

Posts: 208
Joined: 5 February 2004
Status: offline 		The editor

I refer to the extraordinary editorial “Stop wasting effort on dual use of water” (30/10).

To emotively link recreation in water supplies to drinking recycled sewerage is totally unacceptable and flies in the face of a wide body of objective research. 

Indeed, the report from the Curtin University suggests that there is a greater risk from denying public access to water supply dams. The only public health risk in Australia (in the last 50 years) occurred with the Sydney giardia scare – in a catchment without access. The people of Pemberton have happily drunk water that has allowed electric powered craft on it with the only impact being a healthy tourism economy and well-being associated with being able to use Big Brook dam.

I find it incredible that during a period of increasing concern about obesity and sedentary lifestyles, that the only daily paper in Perth should promote continuing an exclusion policy that does little other than deny the public the use of infrastructure for which they paid.

Of course most of the rest of the world could be wrong – including the Gold Coast, Canberra and even the luddites in Sydney water that allow fishing and sailing at Fitzroy Falls dam. All these communities are realizing the social and economic benefits of dual use – and at incalculably small risk to public health – much less than the chances any one of us will die in a car crash tomorrow.

Perhaps you should ask the real questions such as – What is the risk of our current level of water treatment with or without recreational access? If we increased the level of treatment to first world standards would there be any greater risk with recreation? Why is it ok to have a mining operation on the edge of a drinking supply dam but not allow public access? Why is forestry, without the provision of ablution facilities, permitted but activities like recreational marroning (a uniquely West Australian cultural activity) prohibited? Finally, why do we take a NO risk approach to water supply (in spite of independent evidence to the contrary?) yet allow lead products to be transported through Fremantle – given the history of this practice in Esperance?

These are better questions for an editor to ask, as a gatekeeper of objectivity in our society.

Frank Prokop
Hillarys

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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 30 October 2008 8:27:37   
Scott Coghlan


Posts: 2400
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia
Status: offline 		Incredible editorial.
Have fired off my email to the West expressing my disappointment.



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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 30 October 2008 13:27:31   
Brendan McConnell


Posts: 1280
Joined: 22 September 2003
From: Peeping in your bedroom window
Status: offline 		I think anybody that reads this thread should fire off an email , this is rediculous thinking for an editor.

Fancy an editor not checking the facts .

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Post #: 12
RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 31 October 2008 7:32:57   
Frank Prokop

 

Posts: 208
Joined: 5 February 2004
Status: offline 		Letter was published today - all except the mention of how Pemberton (and Harvey) and other towns apparently can drink water that has recreation on it and get the best of both worlds.

Will see what happens with this one.


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Post #: 13
RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 31 October 2008 8:55:20   
Don Tuma


Posts: 764
Joined: 4 November 2006
Status: offline 		The editorial comment on this subject raises the issue from a "storm in a teacup" to an impending statewide health risk.What a nonsense!

Western Australia, like Queensland, has innumerable natural water catchments that nature endows with a daily injection of organic matter in the form of dead plant and animal matter.

Apparently some newspaper editors are unaware of this phenomenon and might be well advised to consult the volume, "A Treatise on Limnology" by G. Evelyn Hutchinson as a means of discovering how freshwaters cope with all this naturally produced organic waste while remaining relatively pure, if not potable.

Those who may be frightened by the spectre of impounded water storages being used for legitimate recreational pursuits as well as providing for daily consumption of potable water, should be at their wits end to discover that poor choices of land use in many catchments results in their degradation and thus their ability to cope with organic loadings.

And if you're searching for an apocalypse to boost your newspaper circulation, then consider that agricultural chemicals with their nitrate and phosphate loads may turn your impounded freshwater into various shades of green or blue-green soup.

Obviously, a bush-walker or a fisher is visible whether or not they pose any threat to water quality, but the things that really matter here are often invisible or taken for granted as part of the scenery.

No one so blind as those who will not see.  


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RE: Recreation poses a very minor risk in water catchme... - 31 October 2008 17:58:36   
Neil Daws


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Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Algal bloom river
Status: online
quote:

Fancy an editor not checking the facts


I think they just hit the spell check button and hit print these days dont they?

This could be big, real big for the tackle industry if they support it and nurture it.

Ok so the ocean is great. Stillwater has a fantastic appeal. Those glassy waters have fish feed off the surface on large water bodies can be amazing and the whole family is more likely to be involved with less chance of sea sickness etc.

Barbless lures only?


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