23
April 2008 - The Rudd Government will provide
$3 million for joint activities with Papua
New Guinea to help reduce greenhouse emissions
from deforestation under the Papua New Guinea-Australia
Forest Carbon Partnership.
At the Australia-Papua
New Guinea Ministerial Forum in Madang,
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Penny
Wong, and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Stephen Smith, said Australia would assist
Papua New Guinea in improving its capacity
to monitor forest carbon.
“This is a key first
step in enabling Papua New Guinea to participate
in future international forest carbon markets,
with a view to reducing deforestation. We
know deforestation contributes around 20
per cent of total global emissions,” Senator
Wong said.
“The $3 million funding
is part of Australia’s support for finding
a global solution on climate change.”
Mr Smith said Australia’s
financial support would be used to strengthen
engagement on forest carbon between Australia
and PNG. One element of this is providing
Australian technical, scientific and analytical
support for the design of Papua New Guinea’s
carbon monitoring and accounting systems.
“Papua New Guinea has
the world’s third-largest tropical forest
area. Developing market-based incentives
to preserve forests is designed to provide
options for supporting the development of
local communities while helping to reduce
global greenhouse emissions,” Mr Smith said.
The $3 million is from
the Government’s $200 million International
Forest Carbon Initiative.
“At the United Nations
Climate Change Conference in Bali, representatives
agreed for the first time that addressing
deforestation and forest degradation should
be part of international climate negotiations,”
Senator Wong said.
“Funds available under
the International Forest Carbon Initiative
are being used to support Australia’s aims
in ongoing international negotiations on
climate change.”
Senator Wong said Australia’s
collaboration with Papua New Guinea and
also Indonesia on reducing emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation would
provide valuable input into these negotiations.
“The first act of the Rudd Labor Government
was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and now
we are playing an active and constructive
role in developing a global solution to
this global challenge.”
Media Contact: Minister Smith - Courtney
Hoogen
Senator Wong - Ilsa Colson
+ More
RUDD GOVERNMENT DELIVERS
MILLIONS FOR WATER RECYCLING IN
17 April 2008 - ADELAIDE’S
SOUTH - Minister for Climate Change and
Water, Senator Penny Wong, today visited
Christies Beach Treatment Plant to announce
formal funding of $34.5 million for the
Waterproofing the South project.
The Christies Beach
facility is being upgraded to produce high
quality recycled water for industry and
for watering gardens and playing fields.
The project would also see expanded piping
infrastructure provide more recycled water
for local wineries.
Senator Wong said developing
new sources of water is a priority for the
Rudd Government.
“Climate change means
we need new sources of water that don’t
rely entirely on rainfall,” Senator
Wong said.
“The Rudd Government
is investing $34.5 million in this recycling
project so that businesses and households
in the Onkaparinga area have access to water
for watering gardens and crops, without
drawing on precious supplies of drinking
water.”
Waterproofing the South
is expected to provide close to three billion
litres of recycled water once treatment
plant works and piping are completed in
2010.
Senator Wong said Waterproofing
the South would provide essential infrastructure
to deliver the Rudd Government’s election
commitment to contribute an additional $3.5
million towards connecting McLaren Vale
irrigators to recycled water from Christies
Beach.
The McLaren Vale project
will connect irrigators to recycled water
from the Christies Beach Treatment Plant
via the Willunga Basin Water Company pipeline,
saving around 500 million litres of drinking
water every year.
“The McLaren Vale project
is an important election commitment for
the Rudd Government and Waterproofing the
South will allow us to deliver on this important
project,” Senator Wong said.
“These two projects
take the Rudd Government’s investment in
water projects in Southern Adelaide to $38
million.”
Member for Kingston,
Amanda Rishworth, said the water recycling
projects would secure jobs and investment
for the region.
“This project means
local industry will have a secure source
of water, even during times of drought,”
Ms Rishworth said.
“Waterproofing the South
will also help clean up local beaches by
reducing the amount of wastewater discharged
to sea.”
