Grievance Debate

Eyre Peninsula Water Supply

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (15:03): Rarely is the subject of water far from people's minds on Eyre Peninsula, or indeed South Australia. The limited nature of our most precious resource has always dictated the way we live. Our early households were often entirely self-sufficient and, more often than not, their domestic supply was captured from the roofs of houses and sheds, which was eked out over a dry summer and encouraged to last by the implementation of the 'one bath a week' policy which, although not legislated, was often enforced in homes around the state.

The decades following World War II saw the gradual exploitation of our underground water resource. This was following the building of the Tod River Reservoir in the 1920s and the extension of the reticulated scheme throughout Eyre Peninsula. I am going to come back to the Tod a little bit later should time permit. We also saw the exploitation of our underground basins. Unfortunately the limitations of these basins were not realised for some years and only now are we beginning to understand the finite nature of a shallow limestone lens.

It would seem that the Tod Reservoir is about to be taken offline and the likelihood is that it would be mothballed in the very near future. The Tod is, after all, a product of its catchment, a catchment that delivers salts, nitrates and chemical residues into the water. There are also quality issues with our current supply, mostly associated with high levels of calcium.

SA Water is the corporation currently responsible for the delivery of water to the major households and businesses across South Australia. That entity and the Department of Environment are responsible for the sustainable management of our public water resource. Up until recently, SA  Water has held a monopoly position in this state, but late last year legislation was passed through the state parliament—this parliament—enabling third-party access to SA Water pipes and infrastructure.

It is yet to be seen what this might look like in a practical sense but I believe it could well mean an opportunity for providers other than SA Water to enter the water market. Extra water could come from a number of sources and a desalination plant is the most obvious. The likelihood of a large-scale, expensive plant built by a government on Eyre Peninsula is unlikely. What is more likely is a number of small scale privately owned and operated plants manufacturing water for businesses and towns.

Imagine the opportunities that could come to Eyre Peninsula if we had ample good water available, opportunities to grow businesses and population that have been restricted up until now by a lack of that most basic of requirements—water. I think the opportunities are endless. As well as desal, there could be an increase in the use of plastic sheeting, an increase in the use of captured stormwater and recycling, and even the desalination of groundwater and, of course, that old favourite and ever-reliable, rainwater.

SA Water has officially moved towards decommissioning the Tod Reservoir. It has written to both the District Council of Tumby Bay and the District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula outlining its plans. SA Water is planning to spend approximately $15 million to decommission infrastructure that has been in place for almost 90 years. I would have to say that I and most of the community would view this as valuable infrastructure and it should not be walked away from completely.

I understand there are quality issues, and I have talked about that already, but it was only just a few months ago that the state government was talking about recreational fishing in this reservoir for goodness sake. I understand that there have been conversations with Lincoln Minerals about supplying up to 600 megalitres of water per year for a potential graphite mine in operation just over the hill. So I wonder at the wisdom of mothballing a reservoir such as the Tod. It has iconic status on Eyre Peninsula and surely, as technology advances, this one gigalitre capacity reservoir should have some useful purpose and at least provide extra water security for Eyre Peninsula going into the future.