WATER RESEARCH

The Hon. P.L. WHITE (Taylor) (14:34): My question is directed to the Minister for Water Security. Can the minister advise the house on new initiatives for water research in South Australia?

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Small Business, Minister Assisting the Minister for Industry and Trade) (14:34): I am pleased to advise the house that Adelaide will soon be home to two new water centres. One is a learning hub dedicated to educating South Australians about water, and the other is a new national headquarters for water quality research. The two new facilities will be housed in SA Water's six green star headquarters in Victoria Square, which will be completed in September. The state government will invest $800,000 in building the water education centre and will offer $350,000 a year in support to host the national research centre that will be known as Water Quality Research Australia.

State government support for these two centres will ensure that South Australia maintains a creative and innovative approach to the challenges of a secure water future for the state, as well as providing for South Australians an education centre of excellence. The Water Education Centre will include information on our water supply network and displays for all the community, from customers and schoolchildren through to water industry experts.

The facility will be a place for people to share, learn, debate and discuss water and environmental issues, while improving understanding of water issues and South Australia's plans for water security. Water Quality Research Australia will conduct vital research for the water industry and consumers, such as:

The health and acceptability aspects of drinking water.

Management of toxic algal blooms.

Improving drinking water treatment technologies.

Water recycling.

Wastewater treatment.

Alternative water supplies.

The centre will carry on the work of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment, which has been based in Adelaide for the last 13 years. It brings together major Australian water utilities, research members such as the Australian Water Quality Centre, and universities around Australia, including the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and Flinders University.

I am pleased to advise that SA Water was successful in its bid to host the centre because of the excellent water research facilities in Adelaide and the high level of collaboration between the government, the private sector and the South Australian universities and water sciences. The new centre will ensure that South Australia continues to have a proud history of pioneering new water technologies and will further reinforce the state's credentials as a leader in science, technology and innovation.

Our place at the end of the River Murray and our diverse water sources have posed many water quality challenges in the past 150 years, and our creative, innovative approach to these challenges has been recognised nationally with the establishment of the new research centre, Water Quality Research Australia, right here in Adelaide.