DESALINATION PLANT

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:50): Can the Minister for Water explain to the house how SA Water's management of the desalination plant contract exposed SA Water to financial claims from AdelaideAqua, costing taxpayers millions of dollars, as stated by an SA Water spokesman last week?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:50): I am not aware of what the SA Water spokesman said last week, but getting back to the point—

Mr Williams: It was in The Advertiser.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: I should have realised that that is their level of research in regard to the questions that they ask, so I will make a habit of, before every question time, reading The Advertiser of the day, but—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: What occurred was, as a result of the delay in first water, SA Water, as I understand it and, of course, as the opposition spokesperson understands, withheld payments. Since that time, SA Water has entered into negotiations with AdelaideAqua, they have settled, and certainly, I think that is a good thing. What I can say, though, is what I said the other day, that the desalination plant will be completed in December—as I am advised—2012, that it will come in on or slightly under the budget that is planned, and that it will, in the future, provide water security to this and future generations, a water supply climatically independent of traditional sources, and that is something that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: —South Australians, in the future, will be very, very pleased about.