The Greens candidates for Wollongong City Council are tapping in to Plastic Free July.
Joshua Bell is one of the Illawarra Greens Ward 3 candidates, and currently studying at UoW to be a PE teacher.
Mr Bell said: "It's so important for people to have access to water while being active. We recognise Council's role in helping people make healthy choices. There is an obligation to ensure that all people (especially children) have access to clean drinking water, especially with climate change leading to higher average temperatures."
The Greens propose "water on tap" at all Wollongong sportsfields
The Greens candidates for Wollongong City Council are tapping in to Plastic Free July.
Joshua Bell is one of the Illawarra Greens Ward 3 candidates, and currently studying at UoW to be a PE teacher.
Mr Bell said: "It's so important for people to have access to water while being active. We recognise Council's role in helping people make healthy choices.
"There is an obligation to ensure that all people (especially children) have access to clean drinking water, especially with climate change leading to higher average temperatures.
"Many of the sports that utilise these grounds are played during the cooler winter months, but as temperatures rise we should be ensuring that we are able to combat things like dehydration."
Cath Blakey, the Illawarra Greens candidate for Ward 2, said: "Having water bubblers in places where people are active and exercising can help residents make healthy drink choices and avoid plastic waste.
"Drinking from water fountains is good for our health, our environment, and our hip pocket.
"We have over 40 sportsfields across Wollongong, many of them used by schools. Installing water fountains will reduce the use of disposable bottles and increase fresh tap water consumption.
"Single-use water bottles have an impact on the environment, as well as our hip pocket. Bottled water costs 1000 times more than tap water, and Australians.
"When Australia was first introduced to bottled water in the late 1980s, we all thought it was a joke. Well now the joke is on us, with millions of single-use water bottles discarded each year, and Australians spending $700million on bottled water each year. Data from Clean Up Australia shows that plastic bottles are among the 10 most common litter items.
"Installing water fountains at all sportsfields is an important part of the war on waste."
More information: Mithra Cox 0245 351 844
In photo (L to R): Pauli Lago, Cath Blakey, Jillian Blakey, Perun Cubby, Mithra Cox, David Balsom, Joshua Bell.
