Shadow Minister for Environment, Heritage and Water Nicole Lawder today moved amendments to a Greens motion calling on the government to improve the collection of grass clippings from its mowing program to protect ACT waterways.

Ms Lawder’s amendments called on the government to introduce clear and realistic water quality targets, introduce and publish the maintenance schedule of water quality assets and commit to publish an annual water quality report.

Labor and the Greens chose not to support these amendments, claiming they were political in nature.

“It’s extremely disappointing that Labor and the Greens failed to support my amendments today. The Greens motion took a narrow approach to improving water quality and the crux of it has already been covered in two motions I put forth last November.” Ms Lawder said.

“There is nothing new in the Greens motion today. All it demonstrates is that the Greens are dissatisfied with their own government’s efforts to keep grass clippings out of our waterways.

“My amendments would’ve strengthened the approach taken to mowing and improving water quality through the introduction of realistic water quality targets, a publicly available maintenance schedule for water quality assets and an annual water quality report.

“Instead of being genuine when they say they care about improving water quality, Labor and the Greens have demonstrated that they simply want to look as if they care. They have failed to support efforts to improve water quality and have relied on doing the bare minimum to parade as environmentalists.

“Improving water quality in our lakes and waterways should not be a partisan issue. We need a new approach to how we deal with water quality issues and ensure that we are getting results for the millions of ratepayers’ money being spent,” Ms Lawder concluded.