SA Water

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:19): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier now direct the Minister for Water to instruct SA Water to release its maintenance schedule for its metropolitan network for the last five years and also for the next five years?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (15:19): I will certainly take that question on notice if that is of interest to members opposite. If it is a proper matter to be put into the public sphere I am more than happy to do that. I think what has been a cause of concern has been the apparent spate of burst water mains, which has—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, the truth is—

Mr Marshall: The apparent spate?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The truth is—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I have always been fascinated by how amusing the Leader of the Opposition finds his own voice. He can't deliver an interjection without laughing at the same time; I don't know what that is.

Obviously, these burst water mains cause real suffering and misery to the people who are directly affected by them, and I think that should be our principal concern. The truth is, in terms of our burst water mains, that they will be a fact of life; they will occur from time to time. I think the real question is how we respond to them. We need to respond to them quickly and we need to ensure that any of the loss associated with them is quickly remedied so that people affected can get their lives back to normal.

I have spoken to the minister about this and told him that this is something we should expect from our water authorities. They have to regard themselves not merely as engineering authorities that are, in terms of national data, doing a job that is well above average; they have to regard themselves as a customer organisation that responds quickly and effectively to the concerns of their customers. So, if it is proper material to put in the public sphere I am more than happy to ask the minister to supply it.