PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: HAWKER DESALINATION PROJECT

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (11:06): I move:

That the 477^th report of the committee, entitled Hawker Desalination Project, be noted.

The committee has received a proposal to deliver a long-term, reliable and sustainable potable water supply to the Hawker community that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) (2011) health and aesthetic requirements and SA Water targets and parameters, and addresses customer expectations. This project proposes to deliver a desalination plant to provide 500 kilolitres per day treated water supply with a target salinity of less than 600 milligrams per litre, including:

an upgrade of the existing site power supply;

installation of a one megalitre treated water storage tank; and

associated site works, including pipework, cabling, security and civil works.

The total estimated cost of the project is $5.75 million, including escalation and excluding GST. Hawker is located in the Flinders Ranges, approximately 100 kilometres north of Port Augusta and has a population of around 364, with growth experienced through tourism during holiday periods. Water supply to Hawker is sourced from groundwater characterised by high total dissolved salts and hardness. At present, the water is treated by an iron removal plant before being delivered to a concrete surface tank and then gravity-fed to the township.

While the current water quality complies with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2011) health criteria, the Flinders Ranges Council and the community regard it as too saline for drinking purposes. The project will be completed by 2014, with the defect period ending in July 2015. Given this, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:08): As with the first report this morning, opposition members are totally in support of this project. It will be a good project. Interestingly enough, in the last day or two I have heard on the radio about problems at Orroroo as well, which is also suffering from severely saline water and badly in need of a further desal plant. My own electorate had the first desalination plant put in place in South Australia at Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island which certainly changed the lives of people in that area.

I just caution that there have been circumstances involving alkalinity which have put an enormous cost on residents. SA Water insofar as the hot-water systems and all the copper pipes have gone several times at some places. I think they may have learnt from their mistakes from that plant. I am hoping that, in the case of Hawker and Orroroo in the future, that will not be the case.

Desalination plants have been around for a long, long time. If we have the water under the ground that can be used, it seems a sensible way of dealing with it. So yes, we suggested we did need to hear about this project and wish it well in a rapid manner.

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (11:10): I also wish to comment on this one. It is not my area of responsibility, not being a member of Public Works. Whilst never having lived in Hawker, I did live in Orroroo for 5½ years, so I have some knowledge of the issues facing that community when it comes to water.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: Yes, and it is very sympathetic to the Hawker situation. I did visit there quite a lot. I stayed in the caravan park, I stayed with friends, and the water is hard. There is no other way of describing it: it is terrible. The fact that an improvement has been put in place is a great bonus for that area and will hopefully make it a lot more attractive to people in the future who choose to live in that community.

It does give an understanding though of the fact that so many communities throughout the north are not connected to the main that comes from the River Murray. Therefore, they are totally reliant upon the groundwater situation and underneath. That in itself represents a great opportunity, but it comes at a cost.

I know—and the member for Finniss referred to this—the effort the Orroroo Carrieton council is making to try to improve its water supply, and that has been ongoing for about three or four years. It is an example of what the community want to see occur, but it is just a matter of convincing those who are involved in the decision-making and their preparedness to pay for it to actually get some improvements happening.

The fact that this project has come through and that Public Works has confirmed its support for it is only a good move. I do sincerely hope that other communities in regional South Australia that are not connected to the River Murray network have an equal opportunity to have an improved water supply, because many people have been very frustrated for a long period of time and it will be a good move.

Motion carried.