SA Water Infrastructure

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Housing. How long will human waste continue to be transported by truck from the Riverlea development? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: Last week, the Department for Housing and Urban Development told the Budget and Finance Committee that key private developments, including Riverlea, were trucking away waste while homeowners waited for pipelines to be built.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION (Taylor—Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Housing Infrastructure, Minister for Planning) (14:37): I am happy to get an update on the case in Riverlea because it is an important development and a lot of housing growth is going on out there. But the reason why we had a tankering issue in the northern suburbs is that, if you go back a few years, those people who were in charge did not make the investments that were appropriate, which is why, if the honourable member—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right will come to order.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: —wants to see activity, if he wants to see slabs down, if he wants to see pipes going in the ground, just take a drive, mate, out to Craigmore Road, take a drive down to Curtis Road, take a drive down to Angle Vale and Supple Road, right next to the Riverlea estate. You will see those big DN1200s and DN750 pipes going into the ground. They are pipes you should have put in the ground, the Liberal Party should have put in the ground when they were in government years ago.

But, instead of doing that, instead of putting in that infrastructure, which would have prevented tankering—I mean, you've got to be kidding. You are getting up here and asking me, 'Why is there tankering in Riverlea?' Because of you. If you want an answer, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror and the answer will appear. Why is there tankering? I don't know. I mean, have a think about it. Have a think about it.

Here is the thing, when you are establishing estates, you will have tankering for a period. You need it because of the volumes of sewage that are occurring. Initially, there is always tankering, but what you need is a plan to transition off tankering to mains pipes, to sewer pipes, and that is what this government is doing.