Emergency Water Provision

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel) (14:28): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier provide any information to the house on any changes to emergency water provision arrangements in my community and whether hardship pricing arrangements are being considered?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy) (14:28): I thank the member for his question. The member joined me and a number of other members of parliament who represent areas that are affected by this particular issue within the larger drought, the issue of the need for supplementary water supply while the water carting market begins to work more effectively. The timeline for people waiting for water carting blew out from two or three days to six to eight weeks and that was of deep concern to us. We took action, as I have raised in this chamber in the previous sitting week, and at the end of last week we had a meeting with the relevant members of parliament, and I thank them all for being there.

The changes that we have been making recently to the emergency bulk water collection points, which is part of our response, has been to, as I indicated early on, be responsive to the changing information that we get about where there is need. We started with three sites in the Hills and talked about one on Fleurieu Peninsula. We were then able to open up that fourth one in McLaren Vale, and that has been able to offer water to a number of people. We have then recognised that there is a need around the One Tree Hill into Elizabeth Park area for a bulk water collection point, so we have added that one and taken away Brukunga, recognising that it is 10 minutes from Woodside and that it had lower use, comparatively, than Woodside—so, spreading our resources in the right direction.

I was grateful for some of the feedback from people at that meeting with the MPs on the question of whether down further on Fleurieu Peninsula, around Victor Harbor and so on, might be a useful point to add. We are working on whether there is a site down there. There is a particular challenge with Yankalilla, which is a little stranded in terms of water sources, so we are working on whether there is a way to assist with the tank that might be provided to be a central location point. That is the variation in those offerings.

We have had about 200 people come for about 200 kilolitres thus far, which indicates that it is meeting a need, but we recognise at the same time that it is not sufficiently easy for people that they are replacing water carting orders. For some people it will, I think, be a challenge enough to get to the collection point and to have the kind of water storage that is easy for them to take back. We are trying to work out whether there are ways in which we can assist, and we are very hopeful that community members are helping their neighbours and recognising their needs.

The member raises the question—and it was raised on that day also I think by the member and also by Rebekha Sharkie, who is the member for federal parliament who attended. They first raised the issue with me about the pricing of water and were then joined by others also questioning that. We have set the price at being the average of the water carting price because initially we were concerned that we didn't want to be undercutting the water carting industry, creating a perverse outcome where tankers would queue up at our areas and cancel their orders.

If someone brings a 200-litre container, which is not that hard to handle, the pricing is $6. When you think about that in comparison to going to a supermarket, it is $4 or $5 for 10 litres. So it is cheaper. But what I have also been able to confirm is that concessions are available. The way that you can get a refund currently if you are getting water carting is exactly the same if you are getting water at these points. We are making sure that that is much more publicly known so that people are aware of their rights to get funding from the Department of Human Services.