Launch of annual Ribbons of Blue 'Snapshot' at Rossmoyne school

22/10/97

Western Australians have been urged to work together to protect the State's waterways.

Water Resources Minister Kim Hames made the call today when he launched the annual Ribbons of Blue 'Snapshot' at Rossmoyne Senior High School.

Rossmoyne was one of 60 schools throughout the State which, as part of Water Week, tested the quality of their local waterways today to identify macro invertebrates - a good indicator of the water's health.

Dr Hames said that the Ribbons of Blue program helped educate students about water issues and gave them ownership of their local waterways.

"Through Ribbons of Blue, school students and community members learn how to measure water quality and understand how people affect that quality," he said.

"The program, co-ordinated through the Water and Rivers Commission, also has demonstrated how people can work together to solve problems to protect water quality."

Dr Hames said that the program allowed teachers to include a practical component in education, giving students the chance to learn about the importance of water quality first-hand.

"The whole community has an important role to play in protecting our waterways," he said.

He also announced the updated Water and Rivers Commission and Swan River Trust web site today.

Increasing numbers of people are turning to the Internet for information.

The web site has been updated to become more user-friendly and provides information about the commission, the trust and their activities, State water resources and links to other important water sites.

The Water and Rivers Commission web site can be found at http://www.wrc.wa.gov.au

The Swan River Trust web site is at http://www.wrc.wa.gov.au/srt.

Media contact: Hartley Joynt (08) 9321 1444