Water Action Draft


Water Action Draft




by



Michael Mobbs

Environmental Law & Policy Consultant

58 Myrtle Street, Chippendale NSW 2008

  tel 02 310 2930    fax 02 310 1893



29 December 1994













Contents
								    Page

	1  	Goals for water & sewage	.	1
	2  	Implementation	.	.	.	2
	3  	Cost, income, savings	.	3
	4  	Strategy	.	.	.	.		4
	5  	Draft tender specifications	     10



1		Goals


The Environmental Guidelines contain the environmental goals for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.  The Guidelines are part of Sydney's contract for the Olympics.    The Guidelines are legally binding upon the parties to the contracts for the Games;  the Council of the City of Sydney, the NSW Government, the Australian Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee (see Attachment A :  The Environmental Guidelines are legally binding).  Included in the Guidelines are these goals about water:

"Olympic host cities should commit themselves to . . . water conservation . . . waste avoidance and minimisation", page 1.


These goals do not provide measurable targets.  That is, it is not possible to establish as an objective fact whether water has been "conserved", or waste has been "minimised" or "avoided" unless the amounts of water and waste are measured and comparisons can be made.  If the goals in the Environmental Guidelines for water and sewage are to be implemented, the use of water and the generation of waste needs to be measured before, during and after the Games.

Accountability is therefore a key element in the implementation of the environmental goals.  To hold "Green Games" that are credible in the eyes of the international community, Sydney must be able to say what the before and after water use and sewage discharge situations are for the 32 Olympic sites.

In summary, for the Guidelines to be implemented, it seems necessary for Sydney's 2000 Olympics to:

  	Create no additional water pollution,
  	Consume no additional water or at least recycle all the water used,
  	Discharge no sewage from Olympics sites;  and
	Measure the amounts of water and sewage used or discharged before, during and after the Games.

A preferred water, sewerage and drainage system for the Olympics is provided as Attachment B.

  
2		Implementation

To implement the Environmental Guidelines, Sydney's 2000 Olympics water, sewage and drainage systems must adopt best environmental practices.  To be credible as the "Green Games", however, the Sydney Olympics will need to achieve some new high standards of water, sewage and drainage that surpass best practices.  Some examples of proven best environmental practices that will need to be equalled are listed in Attachment B, Examples of best practices .

Implementation may take two forms.  The Guidelines may be implemented through the design and operation of buildings and the use of the 32 Olympic sites.  The second means of implementing the environmental goals is through the prices at which the natural resources needed for the Games are made available:  the energy, land, air and water, and the timber, and other materials.

This paper proposes that SOCOG and other government agencies responsible for the design and operation aspects certify that the Guidelines are satisfied and that international best practices are achieved.  In addition, this paper proposes that the Guidelines be implemented through the tender documents, and annual reporting mechanisms are proposed for this purpose.  Recommendations are provided in the Strategy section, below.