EDWARDSTOWN GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:26): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Conservation. Is it the government's intention that the contaminated water at Edwardstown and Clovelly Park be decontaminated? What is the estimated cost of decontaminating these areas, and who will pay for it?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (15:27): I guess one of the things I failed to mention in my earlier answers is that the EPA does do some testing. It may have been construed that I said that the polluter does that but, of course, where that organisation cannot be identified we do take on a role of testing.

At this point in time there is no intention of cleaning up all the water in that particular area. I have no idea of what the costs might be if such an exercise were undertaken. At the moment we are doing an analysis (amongst other things) of what the threats are, how far the contamination has spread. More importantly it is a reinforcement, if you like, of the advice that exists from health: it doesn't matter whether you are in Edwardstown or other parts of metropolitan Adelaide, don't use the groundwater for drinking. If you are going to use it for other purposes have it tested, and have it tested every couple of years thereafter.