WATERWORKS (WATER MANAGEMENT MEASURES—USE OF RAINWATER) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 18 October 2007. Page 1141.)

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (10:59): I wish to make a brief contribution on this, and reflect upon the fact that it was introduced by the opposition in the other place. There was some substantial debate on it there, and now it has now come down to us. This is a very commendable effort by the opposition to try to enforce upon the government a respect for the issue of rainwater tanks and the fact that they provide a potable water supply to so many South Australians.

Having lived in regional areas all of my life, part of the investment I have made when I have built homes has always been to put in a rainwater tank. I have had 12,000 gallon tanks, 10,000 gallon tanks, and I currently have 15,000 gallons of rainwater storage at my home. I think it is a responsible attitude for every South Australian—especially given the dry state we are now in and the need to ensure that we have water supplies available to our homes—to support, as much as humanly possible, the installation of rainwater tanks.

It is a surprise to me that more councils are not actually picking up on the fact that, within their development plans, there is an opportunity, as one of the conditions of approval for new developments, to stipulate the installation of tanks. I take some pride in the fact that, within the communities that I serve, there is a requirement within development plans and the approval process for tanks to be installed.

The tank sizes do actually vary depending on whether there is a reticulated water supply available or whether the homes themselves are entirely reliant upon what they can store and collect. I think that it varies a little among the councils in my areas, but if a reticulated supply is available it is something like a minimum storage of 10,000 litres; and, if reticulated is not available, it is more like 45,000 litres or the old-fashioned 10,000 gallon rainwater tank which I have at my home.

I think it is important that we in this place respect the fact that, while rain has now started to fall—and we hope that it continues for many more months and that our farmers and everybody else who is concerned have a good season with the weather that is coming through—we cannot afford to rely on it. It has been obvious to me that the difficulties that have been created in ensuring that the supply from the River Murray will always be there have opened people's eyes to the situation, and there is no doubt that the businesses that are supplying rainwater tanks have become quite creative in how they are advertising them in the marketplace.

Instead of the traditional round tanks, we suddenly have the slimline versions that will fit into the confined building allotments that exist across much of the metropolitan area. People are starting to look at any opportunity to put tanks underneath their homes, if those homes are elevated. They are even looking at opportunities to put tanks along the driveway—I have seen advertisements for those sorts of products, too—so industry out there is looking at the various opportunities.

They are trying to design a water tank storage system that will ensure that the small allotments on which so many people now live still have an opportunity to collect, store and use a reasonable water supply, and let us hope that it continues. I know there is some debate about the health aspects of drinking rainwater. I have always been a believer in it. I think that it is—

The Hon. R.B. Such: It hasn't hurt you!

Mr GRIFFITHS: It hasn't, no. The member for Fisher comments that it has not hurt me, being as big and strong as we all are on this side of the house! I hope that most of us have grown up drinking rainwater from rainwater tanks. It is important that we look at every opportunity in this regard. I take a lot of pride in the fact that people in my immediate vicinity have also invested in very large rainwater tanks; even people who have 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of storage are still deciding to invest in them.

Farmers certainly know the benefit of it when it comes to rainwater storage for their properties and for their weed-spraying needs. When they put up the big new sheds, it is quite common for a farmer to put in a tank of about 150,000 litres—the enormous aqua-plate tanks.

Mr Pederick: Even bigger—225.

Mr GRIFFITHS: These 225,000 litre tanks hang off their implement sheds and their hay storage sheds and the other big sheds that farmers are now tending to have on their properties. All South Australians, no matter whether you live in the metropolitan or a rural area, have to respect the fact that while we always hope that water continues to fall from the sky and we always hope that it will be at the end of a tap, it might not be. We have to start being responsible for our own water storage needs. Metropolitan people are finding that installing a rainwater tank is good for their domestic situation, maybe not drinking it, but at least connecting it to their toilets and using it on the gardens.

It might be an expensive form of water for their gardens, but in these days of water restrictions, if people want to be able to water when they choose to, and not just within the restricted times that are available because of the crisis with our water supply, they are saying, 'Yes, I'm prepared to invest $2,000, $3,000 or $4000 to put a pressure pump on that, then hook it up to a dripper system and then make sure that my plants have a water supply.'

In this time of water restriction, we are also finding that cracked foundations are an enormous problem with homes. I read an article in The Advertiser only a few days ago that referred to about $7 million being spent recently on repairing cracked homes in the metropolitan area. I think that is just the tip of the iceberg. I have no doubt that, once the winter rains start, foundations will consolidate, and people then acknowledge that it is time to get something done about the cracks that have opened up in their homes. The pressures that are put on builders and the cost will be enormous. I think that it will actually be in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars. It will put a lot of pressure on skilled tradespeople to be available to repair homes, but it is an example of the problems created by the lack of rain.

Rainwater tanks might give you only limited storage: it might be only a few thousand litres, but every drop of water that people put around their properties will actually help ensure the future of their homes, which are often the largest investment they will ever make. If someone goes out and spends $400,000 on a home and then within a relatively short time it seems that it is cracking because of problems in the dryness of the ground around the foundation, they will be very upset.

Rainwater tanks are a part of that solution. I think it is very commendable of the opposition to propose this bill to the parliament. I am pleased that it has had the support of the Legislative Council and come to us. I think it is behoven upon all members of this place to make sure that they support this measure. It is a good one, and it will help South Australians.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (11:05): I will make a brief contribution. I have been a great supporter of rainwater tanks for years. In fact, I have two: a large one and a smaller one. Whilst the watering restrictions are on, I am still able to run a hose off either tank to water mid-week to ensure that our pot plants and so on are kept alive. That is done, as I said, with a hose connected up to the two tanks.

The bottom line at the moment is that water is too cheap, and people do not value things that are too cheap. The water delivered to our homes is at an incredible bargain price. I am not saying that it should be completely user pays for the total water usage in a domestic situation. I think there should be a basic allocation for people to undertake essential human needs such as washing and so on, but that level should be set and any water used over and above that should be at a price which is realistic and commensurate with the fact that we do not have an unlimited amount of water to use.

Governments have always been reluctant to address that issue, but while water is unrealistically priced at a low level, people will not be encouraged to put in large tanks because there is no real cost incentive. In fact, if you do the economics on rainwater tanks, you are actually better off using mains water at the moment. That is because water, as I said, is coming from SA Water; bulk water is priced way too low.

That needs to be addressed, and I hope the government will do it, and not be scared off by people who say that this will mean that if you have seven kids five of them will go to school smelling. That is a nonsense. You can set a base allocation; in fact, the current system does have a base allocation but, over and above that base allocation, if you want to use a lot of water in the shower or water your hydrangeas, you should pay a proper price for it. The current system is crazy. You can shower all day inside—and some people seem to do that—and, yet, you are a criminal if you water a pot plant outside in a way that you are not meant to.

Long ago, New South Wales introduced a system whereby rain that falls on a property—certainly commercial premises—has to be dealt with on that site. The sooner we move to that system, which is really an extension of the rainwater tank idea, the better. Places like the Marion Shopping Centre would collect enormous amounts of water if it had the right infrastructure, and that could be used not only for watering its trees and gardens but also for toilets and air conditioning systems that use water.

In Adelaide at the moment our reservoirs are currently holding 50 per cent of capacity. Hopefully, we will get sufficient rain to top them up. The worst thing that could happen at the moment is if people get complacent because it has rained a little bit and they think their worries are now over. They are certainly not over. That is why people, wherever possible, should be looking to install rainwater tanks.

It has become a problem now because of the size of blocks and urban consolidation. It is very difficult for people to put in a decent sized tank. The member for Goyder mentioned that people are putting them underneath new houses. There are a whole lot of innovative designs available to enable people to install tanks in a format different from the traditional round, galvanised iron tank.

As to the health issue: it has been shown quite clearly that rainwater tanks, properly used, are not a health risk. I grew up on tank water and I turned out all right. My mother put in—not kerosene; what is the other stuff you put in—liquid paraffin. That was probably to get rid of me! However, there is no real evidence that properly operated rainwater tanks are a health hazard. Nature, through the organisms in the tank—and that excludes possums—does clean the system itself. I commend any move to encourage and require people to put in decent sized rainwater tanks. If you are going to put one in, put in the maximum size that is permissible and possible for your house or block, and let's get fair dinkum about saving water.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.