The Solution Is Clean Ocean Foundation
Clean Ocean Foundation Inc. was incorporated as an association in Victoria in December 2000. It is achieving peak status in relation to community opposition to ocean pollution Australia Wide. The National Ocean Outfall Closure Strategy (NOOCS was presented to the Federal Senate Parliamentary Inquiry on Urban Water Management. As part of this strategy, the primary focus of the outfall campaign is conducting a concerted community education drive in relation to closing the Boags Rocks outfall at Gunnamatta Beach, the largest by volume shoreline outfall in Australia.
Started by a grant from an international philanthropic organization in 2000, the Foundation has come a long way towards achieving a National Ocean Outfall Closure Strategy.
NOOCS OBJECTIVES
The prime objective of the outfall closure campaign is the attainment of full recycling of wastewater from Australia's 144 ocean outfalls. Following the reforms to the water industry in Australia in the early 1990's, closing ocean outfalls is only realistic through adoption of cost-recovery recycling technology and processes that fit with government objectives of making money out of water.
An important part of our work will be recommending infrastructure development of successful potable treatment facilities, like those already in place both within Australia and internationally. And this means focusing on the following long-term financial benefits, both to the water industry and government, of making outfall closure infrastructure decisions.
1. Cost-recovery from four possible sources of revenue:
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Recovery of commercially saleable fats and oils
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Recovery of commercially saleable metals
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Recovery of commercially saleable solid wastes
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Recovery of huge volumes of commercially saleable recycled water
2. Best practice global technology for upgrading wastewater treatment to commercially re-useable quality.
3. Opportunities relating to water treatment, capital works and water distribution throughout relevant parts of Australia.
4. Commercial sources and levels of demand for recycled water of different qualities.
5. Opportunities for public/private partnerships as a means of delivering the venture capital, technical and commercial expertise for achieving full recycling of water from all outfall systems around Australia.
Accordingly, Clean Ocean seeks further vital investment by government and water utilities, by continually demanding upgraded treatment to ameliorate health and environmental concerns, and to make those demands in court if necessary. At the same time Clean Ocean advocates that government adopt outfall closure projects which fufill commitments to sensible water strategies and sustainable infrastructure decisions.