Question Time

WATER SECURITY

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question is to the Premier. Has he put South Australia's water supply at risk by failing to plan and cost a proposal for a desalination plant expeditiously so that a joint state-federal funding agreement could be struck months or even years ago?

The Prime Minister has advised that if the South Australian government had provided the federal government with a clear proposal, with full costings, for a desalination plant the federal government would have been able to provide hundreds of millions of dollars towards it a long time ago.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:15): Very interesting; this is a repeat of last week's, which kind of did not work for the Leader of the Opposition. I wish we had a 'worm-ometer' in this place; it would be very interesting. There will be a casual vacancy in the upper house; maybe it should go to the worm.

However, I want to say that this government has recently announced it is committed to funding a desalination plant to serve Adelaide. So, we have announced two desalination plants: one for Whyalla, which we are prepared to put money into so that the water can go to Whyalla, Port Pirie, Port Augusta and also to parts of Eyre Peninsula, and of course BHP Billiton will be funding the other share of it to support the mining expansion; and we have also announced a more than $1 billion commitment to fund a desalination plant as an insurance policy for Adelaide. That contrasts with the state Liberal Party's policy of coming up with a water plan by 2009; that is the difference. It is very interesting.

This government has also committed to increasing the reservoir capacity in the Adelaide Hills, and it has also committed itself to increasing water recycling in this state from the current level of around 20 per cent (where we lead Australia) up to more than 40 per cent. It is also committed to its Waterproofing Adelaide campaign. However, yesterday the Prime Minister flew into town, and what did he announce? He guaranteed $10 million towards a desalination plant that would cost more than $1  billion. That was his generosity; a less than 1 per cent commitment to the cost of the desalination plant—but he wanted to get a big headline in the news. No wonder the worm has turned.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: They are talking about Mr Costello. If people think that Mr Costello is arrogant now imagine what he would be like if he became Prime Minister of Australia. However, the Prime Minister said yesterday (and this is very interesting)—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No, I am pleased that I got notice of your question; it was sort of a repeat of last week's. The Prime Minister said that there is no reason why Adelaide should not set about becoming independent of the Murray River for its water supply. That is a very interesting point the Prime Minister made, because the whole point of his $10 billion rescue plan was to ensure that River Murray water did come down the river for Adelaide's human water consumption. Now he is saying that he wants us to be independent—that can only mean that the water will be diverted upstream. We want the Prime Minister, who promised South Australians—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Prime Minister promised South Australians a guarantee of environmental flow down the River Murray; he gave South Australians a guarantee that there would be our minimum entitlement flow. He said that we were guaranteed a minimum entitlement flow but now, apparently, we are to be independent of the River Murray in this state, but not other states; now, apparently, he is prepared to be generous and give a 1 per cent funding commitment to a desalination plant. That is how bodgie it all was yesterday.

Do members opposite want to line up with the Prime Minister? Earlier in the year the Leader of the Opposition said that he supported the federal takeover and I said I was prepared to support the federal takeover provided there was an independent commission to run the River Murray—and that is what we achieved. Of that $10 billion we are now being told there is a $10 million commitment from the commonwealth towards a desalination plant that will cost well over $1 billion.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!