4 August 2015: Cooma and Monaro region residents are invited to participate in a University of Canberra study to find out how happy they are with their rivers and lakes.
University of Canberra senior research fellow, Dr Jacki Schirmer is leading the survey of the capital region – including the ACT and surrounding NSW , which aims to understand how we use and value our waterways for drinking water, recreation and as a key part of the environment.
"The Better Water Survey has been open for more than a fortnight now and we're seeing some really great results, people are being open and frank about the waterways around their communities and which ones they use for recreation," Dr Schirmer said.
"We're interested in hearing from everyone in the region. In particular, we want to hear from the communities around Canberra, because for many of them the rivers and streams that flow around their towns come from catchments in the ACT. So we're asking them to tell us 'what's the water like when it gets to you?'"
More than 3,500 people have already completed the survey and Dr Schirmer said the team is getting a good understanding of how people use, value and experience the region's waterways, and where they have concerns about water quality.
"We can see from the early results that many Canberrans use waterways in the Cooma-Monaro, Palerang and Yass regions, but we're keen to hear from locals themselves in these areas.
"The people who see and use these waterways every day will have an important insight into the quality, cleanliness and overall useability of their water resources," she added.
The survey is being conducted by the University of Canberra and is supported by the ACT Government and local councils across New South Wales.
The results will be used to help improve waterway management and water quality in the region and is part of a larger program to improve water quality in the Murray–Darling Basin.
The survey can be found at www.betterwater.net.au and closes on 14 August, respondents can also enter into a draw to win a share of $5000 in prizes.
Dr Schirmer is available for interview
Contact the University of Canberra media team:
Claudia Doman: 0408 826 362
Marcus Butler: 0438 447 810