Grievance Debate

Reeves Plains

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:07): I bring to the attention of the house today details of a petition lodged by residents of Reeves Plains. Unfortunately, the petition was not written in the exact format to be tabled as a petition, so I would like to get the petitioners' sentiments and comments on the public record. The petition reads, as follows:

To the Honourable Members of the House of Assembly in Parliament…

We draw the attention of your Honourable House [to] the petition of the undersigned residents of Reeves Plains and surrounding areas of the concerns to the proposed Gas fired power station to be erected by Alinta Energy. It will be situated on 1629 Redbanks Road, Reeves Plains, South Australia. Application number 5887/243. Development number 312/v005/17.

The residents' concerns are, as follows:

…residential proximity (closest dwelling 600 metres from the proposed site), pollution (noise and air), house and land devaluation and the storage of 400,000 litres of diesel fuel stored on site close to houses, also the lack of communication by Alinta Energy and the Adelaide Plains Council…

The petitioners therefore request that your Honourable House urge the Government to look into and revise the circumstances of the passing of this project for the sake of the residents and those of the surrounding area.

In view of the petition not being able to be formally tabled because of the format, I bring the petition to the house's attention and put on the record that I will be sending the petition to the relevant minister for action.

I would also like to mention today that on Saturday I had the privilege of attending the 60^th anniversary of the official opening of the South Para Reservoir. The Minister for Environment and Water was also present, as was John Dawkins MLC from the other place. Tom Playford, son of Sir Thomas Playford, the Liberal Party's longest serving Premier, was also at the anniversary event. Pastor Tom had some interesting views about the modern Liberal Party, which perhaps would not be consistent with some of those views shared across the table.

The South Para Reservoir was opened on 18 October 1958 by then premier, Sir Thomas Playford, at a ceremonial unveiling of the obelisk situated between the dam and the spillway. It was said to be 100 years to the day since the completion of Adelaide's first reservoir at Thorndon Park. About a thousand people attended the opening day event, which included a flag-lined approach to the reservoir, fireworks and a tour of the area by the official party.

The reservoir site was first identified back in the 19^th century by industrialist Mr James Martin, a member of the Legislative Council and well-known resident of Gawler, who suggested building the reservoir for water supply to Adelaide for irrigation. In 1948, after the state's Public Works Committee had approved the building of the reservoir, Mr L.S. Duncan MP suggested that the minister for works should take steps to see recognition of James Martin as a pioneer of the district and that the reservoir be named after him. Unfortunately, that did not occur.

I would also like to mention the 600 workers who were involved in the construction of the reservoir from 1949 to 1958. Young married workers were housed near the site and senior members of staff also lived nearby. About 200 workmen were mainly from post world war Europe. People came to this country following World War II and worked on many projects right across the nation to build this nation. I bring one person to the house's attention—ABC presenter Ian Hentschke's father-in-law, Mr Marino Securo, a migrant from Trieste in Italy. He was one of many migrants who worked as a surveyor on the South Para Reservoir. With those comments, I bring those matters to the house's attention.