DROUGHT

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (15:35): I support the motion that was moved by the Leader of the Opposition this afternoon, even though it has been dealt with. The drought is the worst we have ever seen. I can go back a long time in my own life and also my family's life because my forebears left very accurate diaries. This is indeed a very serious situation. It is the worst in living memory—certainly the worst since records have been taken. It is taking a massive toll. It is much worse than most people, especially government members, realise. It is generally masked by the massive mineral boom in South Australia—and some would say, 'Just as well.' If it were not for the mineral boom, every South Australian would be suffering albeit to different degrees.

This government has shown total indifference over almost six years to this huge problem. It is totally derelict in its duties and responsibilities. It has played politics while the state has evaporated and cracked. We have known since 2001—seven years ago—that we were heading for a potentially serious problem. The then minister for water (Mr Mark Brindal) highlighted it in his paper Waterproofing Adelaide, to which I have made reference in my speeches in this house over many years. What is the sense of making speeches when no-one takes any notice? I said in 2001 that Adelaide was far too reliant on the River Murray and that we had not done enough to provide alternatives, either by building new reservoirs or upgrading existing reservoirs or, as former minister Brindal said, recharging Adelaide's natural water aquifers and natural vessels with storm and recycled waters.

Over the past 10 years I have raised issues ad nauseam about how we could be more efficient water users. For four years as a member of the Public Works Committee, on almost every occasion in relation to every reference, I raised the issue about keeping grey water separate in all new public buildings to assist with recycling and reuse. That is on the public record and members opposite, including the member for Norwood and minister Caica, are aware of that. I have harped on about fitting all toilets in public buildings with dual flush cisterns and bowls. It is a disgrace that so many public buildings are still using old-fashioned large bowls on single flush. A high proportion of females working in these areas go to the toilet regularly, and all the water goes down the gurgler every time they go there. I notice the honourable member in the gallery smiles, but it is a serious matter because women are different from men. Men do not have to flush every time they go but women do. It is purely a matter of anatomy.

What has this got to do with the motion and drought-affected rural buildings? If Adelaide was more efficient in its water use, it would mean more water for our irrigators, dairy farmers and orchardists, particularly those who grow our valuable orange trees. I made a speech in this house a couple of weeks ago to highlight that 300 to 400 prize dairy cows go to slaughter every week. The dairy farmers cannot afford the cost of the feed. It costs about 50¢ per litre to maintain a cow and the return is 38¢. One does not have to be Einstein to work out what happens. It is not worth buying the feed and doing the work to lose the money.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr VENNING: The minister asks, 'What can the government do?' Well, the government could help with the provision of feed for those cows. Both New South Wales and Victoria subsidise the cost of freight to get the fodder to their farmers; and they are doing it for the second consecutive year. We have been cutting a lot of hay on our farms in the past couple of weeks and all the trucks are going to New South Wales. That is a disgrace. Our orange trees are state assets. They should be protected and saved at all cost. Some of these trees are 10 to 15 years old. The best-flavoured orange juice comes from the oldest trees and they are dying.

A former colleague of mine (Kent Andrew) rings me regularly and it is sad to hear that another row of trees was switched off today; and in two or three weeks those trees will be dead. Those trees go back to his father's time. It is a disgrace. We cannot put them back in next year. They will not be there. What do we do? How do these people make a living for the next five or six years? It is a disgrace. It is very concerning, but what will it be like in March, April and May next year? That is the big worry. And what is the government doing? What is its emergency plan? It is not carting bottles of water, I can assure you. It is a disgrace. The government should have a lot more plans in place for the future of South Australia .