Industry the key to water crisis ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Industry the key to water crisis, says union boss

28 February 2007

A major conference has been told that industry is the key to a future without water restrictions.

Australian Workers Union national secretary Bill Shorten told the Australian Water Summit in Melbourne that industry and unions must work together in finding solutions to water shortages in Australia.

He said while households had done their bit to save on water use, there needed to be much greater accountability from industry.

"I think it's a case of where you want to be in 10 years time," he said.

"I think industry is capable of making long term decisions. I think industry has been doing things, I think there's more for it to do.

"There are a range of sectors that could lift their game. It's a matter of discussion, it's not a matter of allocating blame, but I do think it's possible to use our water more wisely and spread it around better than we do."

Mr Shorten said there was a problem with telling the story about the water crisis and that consensus was needed in the debate about how to deal with the issue.

"Our union believes that one of the contributions that can be made is getting a political consensus around the myths - this us versus them attitude, the role of the private sector, the role of recycled water - I think most people get that there's a water problem, most people get there are solutions.

" think most people's eyes glaze over when they see the various partisans and various causes and points of view arguing about their particular solution and I think Kevin Rudd is on the right track trying to take some of the politics out of it."

"I think industry use of recycled water is an area which everyone can work collaboratively on."

See - Time for industry to step up.