Media release
9 November 2010
The Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability
and Urban Water, Senator Don Farrell today
accepted an extensive consignment of artefacts
recovered from four Dutch shipwrecks found
off the West Australian coast.
Until now the collections
from the Batavia (sunk in 1629), the Vergulde
Draeck (1656), the Zuytdorp (1712) and the
Zeewijk (1727) had been located in Australia
and the Netherlands under the Agreement
between the Netherlands and Australia Concerning
Old Dutch Shipwrecks (ANCODS).
Artefacts recovered
from these ships include silver coins, bricks,
lead ingots, canon balls, amber and pitch,
as well as rare objects owned by crew and
passengers such as navigational instruments
and ornaments.
The decision to transfer
the objects was formalised on 15 September
2010, when Australia's Ambassador to the
Netherlands, Lydia Morton, and the Netherlands
Secretary for Culture, Judith van Kranendonk,
signed an agreement aboard a replica of
the Batavia in Lelystad in the Netherlands.
Today, his Excellency
Mr Willem Andreae, Ambassador of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands presented the artefacts
to Senator Farrell at a ceremony held at
the Australian National Maritime Museum
in Sydney.
"It is an honour
to receive these artefacts on behalf of
the Australian Government and the people
of Australia," Senator Farrell said.
"The ANCODS Agreement
was signed on 6 November 1972 and the repatriation
of these Dutch artefacts brings to a close
more than 37 years of work by the ANCODS
committee.
"As a result of
important voyages some 400 years ago, Dutch
maritime history and the history of modern
Australia are forever intertwined.
"Dutch ships undertook
significant exploration off Australia's
coasts, with many ships and their crew thwarted
by treacherous seas and unfamiliar waters.
These artefacts represent that bravery and
endeavour.
"I want to thank
the Netherlands Government for their generosity.
This is the largest maritime artefact endowment
Australia has ever received and these priceless
artefacts form an important part of Australia's
rich maritime heritage," he said.
Ambassador Willem Andreae
explained why the Netherlands has agreed
to entrust Australia with safeguarding the
Dutch collection.
"These artefacts
are the silent witness to the dramatic events
that took place 400 years ago", he
said.
"Together they
tell a fascinating story of our joint past
and our shared cultural heritage.
"Repatriating the
objects to Australia is an expression of
the close cooperation between the Australian
and Netherlands' governments. It is important
that we continue to work together to understand,
protect and showcase our shared cultural
heritage.
"The transfer of
this unique collection also makes sense
from a scientific and practical point of
view," Ambassador Andreae continued.
"Rather than dividing
the objects, the materials will be kept
as one collection, as close as possible
to their original resting place. An integrated
collection will also enable more extensive
research in this important area of maritime
archaeology."
The artefacts will be
housed in the Western Australian Museum
and will be available for museums and scholars,
particularly in Australia and the Netherlands,
for greater study and appreciation of the
entire collection. To facilitate this, an
online database has been developed.
A travelling exhibition
of the ANCODS collection throughout Australia
is foreseen for 2011/2012.
+ More
Perth trial of recharging
recycled water into groundwater begins
Media release
30 November 2010
A pioneering Groundwater Replenishment Trial
project has been launched today in Perth.
The Australian Government
is contributing $19.4 million to the project,
which will trial world’s-best, state-of-the-art
managed aquifer recharge technology.
In Perth today for the
launch of the trial, Parliamentary Secretary
for Sustainability and Urban Water, Senator
Don Farrell, said the need to secure water
supplies and manage water resources sustainably
was one of Australia’s great challenges.
"The trial, which
has Western Australian Department of Health
approval, will test the impact of groundwater
replenishment on aquifer water quality and
the feasibility of building a full scale
scheme," Senator Farrell said.
Recharging groundwater
with advanced highly treated recycled water
has the potential to reduce the pressure
on drinking water supplies in many cities
across Australia by diversifying water sources
for non-potable use.
The Australian Government
is meeting this challenge through the long-term
Water for the Future initiative, having
already committed more than $1.5 billion
to over 200 urban water projects across
the country.
"The government
is investing in desalination plants, water
recycling, stormwater harvesting and reuse,
and water efficiency measures—such as replacing
leaky pipes—to ensure a sustainable future
for all Australians," Senator Farrell
said.
"These projects
are delivering billions of litres of real
water savings and are taking the pressure
off our precious drinking water supplies."
Senator Farrell congratulated
all those involved in the planning and construction
of the innovative groundwater replenishment
trial project.
"It is a great
example of Federal and State governments
responding in a cooperative and coordinated
way to help secure sustainable, longterm
water supplies for the benefit of all Australians."
For more information please visit www.environment.gov.au/water
