Queensland residents draw to the attention of the House: Scenic Rim was drought-declared in May. Tamborine Mountain has no reticulated water. 2019 provided half the average rainfall.

First Nations people have protected the land and water for over 60,000 years. Now we face dry creek beds; bores drying up in great numbers; people waiting over 4 weeks for water delivery; and insufficient water to fight fires.

Mountain aquifers feed neighbouring catchments. Canungra’s standpipe closed suddenly in November. The state school had to buy emergency water from off the mountain whilst nearby extractors continued trucking millions of litres to bottlers.

A small number of commercial extractors are allowed to take virtually unlimited amounts of water and sell it for bottling. This water leaves the ecosystem forever.

Commercial extraction provides zero public benefit. Bottled water could be accessed from other sources, where government provided water infrastructure is in place. Extractors pay no royalties to any government. Water trucks are a safety risk and damage the roads.

Under the Water Act 2000, “All rights to the use, flow and control of all water in Queensland are vested in the State.”

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to:

• declare a water emergency;
• cease commercial extraction for bottled water;
• limit the maximum volume of water a person may take;
• prioritise water supply for domestic supply and natural ecosystems;
• provide updated information about the water available and impacts on ecosystems;
• allocate water for the wellbeing of everyone equally, within limits that can be sustained indefinitely.