Half a million rainwater tanks by 2015
Green roofs – Half a million rainwater tanks by 2015
Greens MP and Upper House candidate Lee Rhiannon will tonight announce the 'Green Roofs' plan – a Greens plan to install half a million rainwater tanks across Sydney by 2015 through a government-run finance scheme that would offer interest-free loans with long-term repayment options to households wanting to install a water tank
Ms Rhiannon will announce the plan at an NCC urban water forum in Sydney this evening.
"The Greens will move a private members bill after the election to establish a government-run finance scheme that will offer households interest-free loans on rainwater tanks and integrate repayments into water bills", said Ms Rhiannon.
"The Green Roofs plan aims to install half a million water tanks across Sydney by 2015.
"Cost should not be a barrier to saving water. A water tank should be within the reach of every Australian household, not a luxury item.
"The Greens plan would mean that people across Sydney could buy and install household water tanks at no up-front cost. Households would pay off the cost of a tank as part of their regular water bills and the government would cover the interest on these loans.
"Only 29,000 water tanks have been installed in Sydney and the number of new installations per year is now falling. The cost of water tanks is too prohibitive for many low and middle-income households.
"The rebate schemes offered by Premier Iemma and Mr Debnam do not even come close to covering the cost of buying and installing a water tank.
"This is a win-win plan that would cut household water bills by as much as 50% and save our precious rain water now and into the future.
"Rainwater tanks connected to household roofs can provide water to the garden, toilet and laundry and save up to 40,000 litres per household per year. At a conservative estimate, the Green Roofs plan could save approximately 20 gigalitres per year.
"Under this scheme, repayments for the average household water tank would be around $12.50 per month over 20 years, with the government picking up the interest cost to make the program more affordable.
"The Green Roof plan would cost the government an average of $95 million per year over the life of the scheme, in conjunction with the Greens proposal to double the water tank rebate.
"Sydney is a rain magnet compared to most of NSW and the Government's first priority should be saving the water that falls on Sydney's roofs.
"Premier Iemma should reject the $2 billion desal white elephant and instead support the Greens bill to make water tanks affordable", said Ms Rhiannon.
