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Questions and Answers on stormwater

This Q&A list aims to help local council spokespeople answer common questions from the media.

1	Tell us about what Council will do?
2	How will local residents benefit?
3	Does Council itself have a good stormwater pollution record?
4	With whom does Council propose working?
5	But we're a long way from the water here, how will we benefit from this campaign?
6	Isn't this just a case of 'big brother' telling people what to do?
7	Isn't this too little too late?
8	Is stormwater pollution really the most pressing environmental issue? Wouldn't the money be better spent on something else?
9	Does this campaign really offer enough incentive for people to do the right thing?
10	Isn't this duplication? How is this different to other stormwater education campaigns?
11	How is this campaign different to Clean Up?
12	How much of the onus is on communities to do their bit?
13	Is the public education campaign an indication that Council is just baulking at installing more pollution traps?
14	It's going to take years to see any results from this campaign isn't it?
15	How does urban stormwater pollution in rural and regional Australia compare?
16	How will you measure the success of this campaign?
17	Surely business is responsible for a major proportion of stormwater pollution. What is Council doing about improving industry's approach to stormwater pollution?
18	Are you targeting people from non-English speaking backgrounds?
19	Who are the winners and losers?
20	How much did this campaign cost?
21	Isn't this an ambitious project?
22	How far have we come with educating people about stormwater pollution issues and how far have we got to go?
23	How are other Councils dealing with this issue? How different is your approach?
24	What is The Drain is Just for Rain campaign doing to address stormwater pollution?

 

1. Tell us about what Council will do?

As part of The Drain is Just for Rain campaign, Council's money will be used to help educate the community that we all have a role to play in stopping pollution going down the drain in the first place.

We will extend the EPA campaign by rolling it out locally, perhaps using local identities to support such an important issue and informing our residents of what can and can't be put in the drain. In essence, part of the money allocated to Council will go to fund local solutions to stormwater pollution.

 

2. How will local residents benefit?

Locals will benefit from Council's Drain is Just for Rain activities in a number of ways. The local rivers, lakes and any nearby beaches that residents swim in will be cleaner, when residents go boating they will see fewer plastic bags and other pollution in the water and Councils and ratepayers will spend less money having to empty the stormwater traps of pollution. If we can prevent pollution going down the drain in the first place, we can reduce the cost to residents of cleaning up our waterways. We believe this is a win-win situation.

 

3. Does Council itself have a good stormwater pollution record?

Like everyone within XYZ, council's activities have an impact on stormwater and therefore water quality. We try to ensure that Council does the right thing and is responsible with the waterways.

 

4. With whom does Council propose working?

The Drain is Just for Rain campaign is about Council working in partnership with the community to educate householders about how best to dispose of pollution so as to improve and protect local environments. We are keen to work with local schools to help them teach their students the right things to do with pollution and we are keen to work with businesses to educate their clients and customers about how best to dispose of their products when used.

The success of this campaign very much depends on everyone working together to tackle stormwater pollution.

 

5. But we're a long way from the water here, how will we benefit from this campaign?

While XYX does not have any local waterways, I'm sure clean creeks, rivers, beaches and oceans are something everyone wants to protect because in some way, we all come into contact with them. If you stop by a creek or river for a break on a long drive, you would like the area to be free from pollution for your enjoyment. If you go on holidays near the beach or go fishing on a river somewhere, you go there partly because of the clean waterways in which there are good swimming or fishing spots.

The Drain is Just for Rain campaign is about knowing what can and can't be put down the drain so that everyone can continue to enjoy their favourite waterside picnic spot, favourite fishing spot and favourite swimming spot.

 

6. Isn't this just a case of 'big brother' telling people what to do?

As the protector and regulator of the environment, the NSW Environment Protection Authority has a natural and proper place to want to educate people about what can and can't be put down the drain. The Drain is Just for Rain is a collaborative, whole-of-government project with local Councils because there is enormous scope for Councils to roll out the campaign in a way that is appropriate and relevant for our local community.

This campaign is about Council working with local residents and businesses to improve and then protect our own waterways or those we enjoy nearby. The EPA has set the ball rolling by developing this campaign but it really is up to local communities who can make a huge difference by doing their own bit to prevent stormwater pollution.

 

7. Isn't this too little too late?

The State Government and Councils have been working extensively on stormwater issues for some time as it is a high priority for the people of NSW. Some $60 million has been released by the State Government since 1997 to assist Councils across NSW develop strategies (including education initiatives) that will reduce stormwater pollution over the next three years.

We have already made significant gains in improving our waterways since the campaign first started and we want to continue to shore up more successes.

This campaign tackles an issue that requires people to understand what can and can't be put down the drain, which means people will need to change their behaviour and avoid doing things like sweeping leaves into the gutter, throwing cigarettes into the gutter or washing their car in the street. These are things that people have been doing for some time and we need to stop doing these types of things if we are to improve the quality of our waterways.

 

8. Is stormwater pollution really the most pressing environmental issue? Wouldn't the money be better spent on something else?

According to the DEC's 2003 benchmark survey - Who Cares about the Environment in 2003? - water pollution is the single most important environmental issue in NSW. Fresh water pollution is the top priority but people are also concerned about beach and ocean pollution and general water quality. There is enormous consumer awareness of this issue and people are prepared to change their behaviour to prevent stormwater pollution, for example, from washing their car in the street to washing it on the lawn because, as a result of this campaign, they understand their behaviour can have a direct and harmful effect on our waterways.

Consumers want to protect their waterways for swimming, boating and fishing and this campaign is a vehicle for educating everyone that The Drain is Just for Rain.

 

9. Does this campaign really offer enough incentive for people to do the right thing?

Yes, the incentive is a lifestyle one because polluted waterways will prevent people waterskiing, boating, fishing and swimming as the water will simply be unhealthy and unsafe.

 

10. Isn't this duplication? How is this different to other stormwater education campaigns?

Some people may not be particularly interested in protecting the environment for the environment's sake, but they are keenly interested in protecting their lifestyle and that is a significant incentive to stop polluting our waterways.

The Drain is Just for Rain campaign adds to and complements other stormwater campaigns. Previous campaigns have aimed at catching the pollution in traps before it reaches the ocean/dam/creek. This campaign aims to stop the pollution being put down the drain in the first place – it works on the 'prevention is better than cure' philosophy.

 

11. How is this campaign different to Clean Up?

The Drain is Just for Rain complements the work of the Clean Up Australia campaign because both campaigns are about raising awareness and understanding about how people dispose of their rubbish, which has a direct effect on our waterways and parks and open spaces. The Drain is Just for Rain campaign specifically addresses stormwater pollution whereas Clean Up's focus is broader and looks at parks, streets, open spaces, railway stations and so on.

The Drain is Just for Rain aims to prevent pollution going down the drain in the first place which will hopefully see less rubbish collected each year from our waterways by the Clean Up volunteers.

 

12. How much of the onus is on communities to do their bit?

Council sees this as a partnership with communities and businesses. History tells us that communities and industry do want to improve and protect the quality of their waterways. There is a significant hope that communities will continue to see the direct correlation between their own polluting behaviours (such as throwing cigarette butts in the gutter) and the quality of our waterways.

 

13. Is the public education campaign an indication that Council is just baulking at installing more pollution traps?

Pollution traps don't stop some types of pollution, such as dissolved detergents and other harmful chemicals. Also, it costs Council and ratepayers far more money to empty and dispose of the contents from the stormwater traps than it does to educate the community to prevent pollution going down the drain in the first place.

Traps certainly play a role in maintaining water quality but they are more of a short-term solution – changing people's behaviour is a long road to travel on but it will have significantly greater gains over traps.

In some cases, providing traps makes people think that it is okay to throw things down the drain because they think the traps will stop the rubbish ending up in the water. The traps are largely successful at this, but they are costly to install and manage and if Council continues to rely on them for protecting water quality, then it is likely there will be a flow-on charge to residents.

If The Drain is Just for Rain succeeds, it will represent a small expenditure for a large saving. That way, residents get a cleaner environment and better value for money.

 

14. It's going to take years to see any results from this campaign isn't it?

We have already had some significant gains from the campaign since it started in 1997, which showed that if people know what can and can't be put down the drain, they are less likely to pollute.

The beauty of this campaign is that we can expect to see results straight away. If we all take action to prevent stormwater pollution right now today, then a heavy downpour tomorrow means a lot less pollution goes into our waterways. That's an immediate and very visible result.

 

15. How does urban stormwater pollution in rural and regional Australia compare with Sydney?

Urban stormwater pollution is an issue of importance throughout Australia. It may be a bigger issue in the most built up areas, but our local creeks and lakes receive water from the stormwater drains. If the stormwater is polluted, then the local waterways that we all enjoy will suffer. That's why the EPA is communicating with everyone in NSW that The Drain is Just for Rain.

 

16. How will you measure the success of this campaign?

The benefits of this campaign will be obvious after every heavy rainfall. We know that pollution going down the drains is bad for the waterways. Stopping it going down in the first place will be the sign of success.

Throughout various stages of the campaign, we will measure the amount of pollution caught in traps and then compare that to pre-campaign pollution levels to determine if there has been a reduction in rubbish going down the drain. We will also measure the success of the campaign based on the level of support Council and the EPA receive from industry to help deliver The Drain is Just for Rain message to their clients and customers.

 

17. Surely business is responsible for a major proportion of stormwater pollution. What is Council doing about improving industry's approach to stormwater pollution?

Part of The Drain is Just for Rain campaign is about working with business and industry to deliver The Drain is Just for Rain message to their clients and customers. At the same time, the tight pollution controls imposed on industry have been successful in making businesses meet their environmental obligations.

Both residents and local businesses need to work in tandem to reduce stormwater pollution in XYX. We all want cleaner waterways and everyone will benefit if we work together.

 

18. Are you targeting people from non-English speaking backgrounds?

The EPA has developed a press and radio advertising campaign for seven language groups (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, Greek and Arabic). The advertisements have been specifically tailored to ensure the messages are relevant to the different ethnic communities.

At the same time, the Ethnic Communities Council (ECC) has been funded to deliver an on-going community education project .A project officer was appointed in December 1998 and community educators have been selected and trained to deliver stormwater education programs.

The EPA has also ensured coverage of the issues in the ethnic media, through editorials, advertisements and talk-back radio. There has also been significant interaction with some Councils with a high NESB population, and several councils have developed their own campaigns focusing on people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

A brochure in community languages is available from the ECC or the EPA's Pollution Line on 131 555.

 

19. Who are the winners and losers?

There are only winners with The Drain is Just for Rain campaign because if people stop putting rubbish down the drain, the quality of our waterways will improve and that's great news for anyone who likes to swim, fish, boat or picnic near water.

If the campaign is successful, residents will win on another front: they will minimise the chances of a rate increase brought on by the high cost of managing traps simply because fewer people are polluting, so there will be less rubbish to collect and dispose of.

 

20. How much did this campaign cost?

In September 1997, the NSW State Government committed $60 million over three years to tackle the problem of stormwater pollution head-on. Of the $60 million, a total of $4 million has been allocated to fund the education program, being rolled out by the EPA, and to assist Councils extend the campaign locally.

(XYZ) Council was awarded $XX XXX from NSW EPA for its proposal to (detail activities).

Right across the state, Councils are using the money to build pollution trapping devices as well as educate local communities about stormwater pollution, so as to prevent the rubbish going down the drain in the first place.

 

21. Isn't this an ambitious project?

According to an EPA survey, Who Cares about the Environment?, some 85 per cent of people in NSW hold "a great deal of concern" or a "fair amount" of concern about the environment. People ranked the environment as the second most important issue for government action over the next decade. They identified water pollution as the single most important environmental issue in NSW.

 

22. How far have we come with educating people about stormwater pollution issues and how far have we got to go?

Based on these results, the Drain is Just for Rain campaign is tackling the very issues most people see as important and so the project needs to be ambitious and certainly whole-of-government.

We have come a long way in educating people that stormwater pollution is an important issue but the community has also taken it on themselves to get educated and get involved so as to improve the quality of our waterways. The results from the EPA's first whole-of-government education campaign back in 1997 were very strong. The results showed an extremely high level of awareness of the advertising campaign, the messages were clearly understood by the majority of people surveyed, and people changed their behaviour, such as not hosing down paths and not washing their car in the street.

We want to build on these successes because we would like to drastically reduce the amount of rubbish caught in the stormwater traps. We worked on raising people's awareness of the issue at the outset in 1997, now we are working on changing behaviours and getting people to dispose of their rubbish properly.

The logical next step is to educate people about the simple actions they can take to make a real difference and that's exactly what we're doing with this campaign.

 

23. How are other Councils dealing with this issue? How different is your approach?

Most Councils have used, and are likely to continue to use, a mix of community education and pollution traps to make a difference to stormwater pollution, so fundamentally, all Councils' approaches are similar.

As of May 2000, more than 140 local projects across the state have been funded and about a quarter of these are working to educate the community about ways of preventing stormwater pollution.

 

24. What is The Drain is Just for Rain campaign doing to address stormwater pollution?

In 1997, the NSW Government committed $60 million over three years to tackle urban stormwater pollution. A vital part of the program is the community education campaign that has been running since January 2000.

The campaign aims to stop people putting rubbish and pollution down the drains in the first place. It is achieving this by:

	a mass media campaign consisting of television commercials in metropolitan and regional centres, outdoor advertisements at prominent Sydney and suburban locations, a mobile billboard and a series of community service announcements featuring prominent Australians such as Sara Henderson, Wayne Gardner, Mike Whitney, Don Burke, Slim Dusty and others.
	outdoor advertisements in Sydney Newcastle and Wollongong focused on four major stormwater pollutants: cigarette butts, car washing, painting and grass clippings and leaves. The advertisements showed the impact of our behaviour on stormwater
	a mobile billboard also toured the most built-up parts of Sydney for two weeks as part of this campaign
	industry education and training projects: This part of the campaign has a special focus on selected industries whose products, when improperly used by consumers, have a detrimental impact on the environment. The campaign will show these industries how to do the right thing
	innovative community projects: As part of the NSW Government's three-year $60 million program, Councils are funded to find local solutions to stormwater pollution. Councils use a mix of community education and pollution traps to make a real difference to stormwater quality. To date, more than 140 local projects have been funded right across the state. About one quarter of these projects is working to educate the community about ways of preventing stormwater pollution.

In January 2000, the Environment Minister, Bob Debus, announced $20 million in funding for the next round of stormwater grants. Councils are being encouraged to apply for these grants, and more local projects will have a focus on community education this year.