Ministerial Statement

WATER BILLING

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:15): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: On 5 December last year the Rann government announced a comprehensive suite of water projects to secure the future of Adelaide's water supply. These projects include a 50 gigalitre desalination plant, a pipeline to interconnect—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am happy to table it, sir, if people do not want to listen. It is the opposition's call: do you want to hear it or will I just table it? It is your call.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do not want to—

Ms Chapman: Table it!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will just table it without reading it, is that what you want? These projects include a 50-gigalitre desalination—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: 'What a wimp,' did you say?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sir, do you intend to—

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir. These projects—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I just like to annoy you, Vickie. These projects include a 50-gigalitre desalination plant, a pipeline to interconnect our metropolitan reservoirs, and a doubling of water storage capacity in the Adelaide Hills. To pay for these projects the government also announced a new three-tier water pricing structure and a significant increase in water prices, beginning with—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley will come to order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —a 12.7 per cent increase in real terms in 2008-09. The government made it clear that additional net revenue from increased water prices will be hypothecated specifically to fund—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Finniss is warned.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sir, I table the ministerial statement without reading it.