This is a hot topic if you live in Sydney!!!
Ok here's my 2 roberts worth:
1. In metro Sydney we need to conserve water and the best method is to install rainwater tanks. This should be initiated by the State government and be offered to any household that want or can install a tank. I have a 2000litre tank and since I've installed it on and using only 24m2 of surface area to collect water, its never been emptied. I use it regularly to water the garden. Sure if its plumbed to the house toilet, washing machine consumption would quadruple but the point I'm making is that its a start.
Nothing is more depressing to see than watching runoff from a typical Sydney arvo thunderstorm and going to stormwater drains and not being harvested.
2. Desalination imo is not feasible, the electrical comsumption, not to mention the greenhouse gases generated to produce clean water is not cost effective.
4. More emphasis needs to made on re-cycling water.
5. Nuclear energy, as in most people's views its the disposal of the waste product. Sure noone really wants it in their backyard, but having said that, we live in a vast country where it could be very feasible and relatively safe to bury the stuff km's below the ground and manage it. This could certainly create a new industry and employment for many people. The point I am getting at here is, what do countries like China, India and other emerging 3rd world countries do with there waste (excluding enrichment purposes for nuke arsenal!!)? Can these countries be trusted to dispose of there waste that is deemed morally acceptable to the rest of the world? I'd rather take our chances and see our government make this offering than hear about it 10yrs down the track that some country is burning it off or dumping it in the ocean!
I don't know the Federal Governments water policy is, but certainly Iemma's policy lacks backbone and depth.
Congrats Ving !!! you've opened a can of worms here
!