SA WATER

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (15:00): Supplementary to that, Mr Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Is the government in fact ignoring ESCOSA's advice which says, and I quote:

SA Water's asset base will need to be set significantly below the current value in order to prevent future water price rises above inflation.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Premier, that's not a supplementary question: it's just another question. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (15:01): We will be acting consistently with ESCOSA's advice, and we will be taking the steps necessary to deliver on the commitment the former treasurer made when he announced the last price increase in relation to SA Water; that is, that they will be pegged at a rate at or below CPI increases. We will be taking the necessary steps, based on advice, and we will be fully accountable to the community and to the parliament about the decisions we take.