The design was firmly fixated on the fact that the bridge would become a major thoroughfare as the city grew and the structure had to cater for that growth.

Look at it today. It's still doing its job. That was visionary leadership.

We need the same gusty and visionary leadership on water and drought.

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We need big ideas and big plans put into action now - ones that will sustain our society long into the future.

The 'one-term' policy focus that's hinged on a plan to be re-elected is not viable. That's not the way to build a better, and sustainable, Australia.

Everyday water is being wasted. Storm water after a downpour is flowing out to the ocean. Household appliances, with poor water-saving ratings, are still being sold.

Hop in the shower and a few litres or more (depending on the type of shower head) will go down the drain while you are waiting for the temperature to warm up.

There's a long list of water woes, it's like a never-ending toilet paper list.

The introduction of Level 1 water restrictions has instigated a lot of chatter about how we can all use less water.

Statistics show that just the average shower - of seven minutes, can use anywhere from 47 to over 60 litres.

Single-flush toilets use about 12 litres per flush while 4-star ones use a fraction at 3.5 litres. But it still all adds up each day.

The Hunter is sitting at a combined dam storage level of 66 per cent - up 1 per cent from last week thanks to some rain.

When you look at the rest of the state we're doing very well, but, we still need to be vigilant. The long-term forecast shows little promise of heavy rain that will fill our dams.

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My grandparents on both sides of the family often told me stories about living on tank water. They treated every drop like it was gold.

My nanna on my dad's side had a bowl of water on a stand near the back door and everybody had to wash their hands in the same water before dinner.

It was then used on the garden. My nanna on my mother's side told me about the bath time routine. The whole family used the same water, one after the other.

We have moved on from those frugal times and now expect water to come out when we turn on the tap.

It's still flowing and that makes us feel secure. But, how much water security do we really have?

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