Adelaide Hills Water Supply

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:36): I rise to emphasise the long dry that is being suffered throughout the state. It is particularly being felt in the Heysen Hills, where so many of my local residents, constituents, are not connected to mains water and rely on their local water, whether it is underground water or water from rainwater tanks. I welcome the fact that we have heard from the government today, for the first time I might say, some notion of something more than what has been described by my constituency for several weeks now as nothing more than a talkfest in response to our urgent need for an emergency response. When there is a fire or flood, we do not go around blaming the victims: we get in and respond as best we can. This is no different.

For those who find themselves without water, with empty tanks, unable to wash, unable to clean clothes, unable to have something to drink at home, this requires an emergency response. The government needs to put a shoulder to the wheel and get real action. That means delivering water to my constituents among so many throughout the state. I applaud my colleague the shadow minister for water infrastructure, the member for Finniss, who now for many weeks has been calling on the government to do something, and, not only that, but pointing to his own experience last time around, when this government was in power in fact, where practical solutions could be found and deployed. They included getting a hold of milk tankers that are not so much in constant use at this time of the year, suitable for deploying potable water, and getting it to where it is needed for those who are out of water at home.

I stress that this is felt far and wide across the Hills and it is a day-to-day acute matter requiring an urgent response. Communities including Mylor, Echunga, Crafers West, Kangarilla, Bradbury, as far north as Montacute, Scott Creek and Aldgate: residents of those communities have been in contact with me and have been highlighting what I think all agree are the worst circumstances of dry for at least 30 years.

My constituents highlight that they are not looking for a handout. They are proudly resilient. They are proudly self-reliant. For decades, in many cases, they have been very ably managing the precious and scarce water resources that we all rely upon. To give some examples: Nina at Mylor, who is in her 70s and has lived in the Hills for decades, is now washing in a bucket; Mark at Bradbury, who is in his 70s is acutely concerned about the public health risks that are associated with running dry; Lindy at Mylor has been shocked by the high cost of delivery of water, sometimes now on repeated occasions if you can get it when you have put yourself in the queue; and Matthew at Aldgate is a father of children he is caring for at their home. They have been desperate for water since February and the queue now runs, we are told, until May.

People have been waiting months for water and, of course, if we get through March now without rain, it will be five months with basically no rain at all. Members ought also to be clearly aware of the fact that the pressure on local water, including tank water, extends to that water that ought to be kept aside for emergency response for the CFS. Lisa at Montacute highlights that it is a very scary situation indeed when residents are forced to draw upon those resources that ought to be set aside for responding to bushfire emergencies. Just like that kind of emergency, this is a water emergency and the government must get on and deliver, including for my residents in Heysen.