STATUTES AMENDMENT (WATER CONSERVATION TARGET AND SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES) BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 12 September 2007. Page 667.)

The Hon. S.G. WADE (17:47): In introducing the bill the Hon. Mr Parnell highlighted the important role that SA Water plays in relation to water and water conservation, and the opposition agrees with that view. The bill rightly highlights the importance of the drivers of a public corporation and it particularly focuses on the charter, the performance statement and the act. I must admit that the charter is strangely familiar. In a previous life I was the principal consultant corporate governance for SA Water, and I think the charter has a lot to commend it.

The Hon. Mr Parnell's has three themes: first, it seeks to amend the public corporation and the SA Water Corporation legislation to insert requirements around water conservation and ecologically sustainable development; secondly, it seeks to insert a specific water conservation target into the legislation; and, thirdly, it relates to the proposed requirement on SA Water to undertake certain assessments before it services lots contained in water districts.

Since then, this council has established a select committee into SA Water and the honourable member, in his speech, anticipated the consideration of that motion with the following statement:

Before I commend the bill to the council I know that we will be shortly considering a select committee into water which would include an examination of the proper role of SA Water. If the Legislative Council decides to create such a committee I would welcome that committee looking at this bill, exploring it and amending it, if necessary, to make sure that we get...the best possible legislation to help all South Australians do the right thing in relation to water.

With those words he commended the bill to the council. The opposition is attracted to the option of referring this bill to the select committee. Because it is a general select committee rather than a committee established to look at the legislation in particular, I will be moving a motion that the bill be withdrawn and referred to the select committee for it to report on and make recommendations.

In closing, and before I move that motion, I indicate that the opposition believes that it is appropriate that this bill be considered by the committee because the corporate drivers for SA Water are not simply the charter, the performance statement and the act, and we think it appropriate that the committee consider all the options. For example, in his remarks the honourable member referred to the operating licence by which Sydney Water operates. That is an example of a regulatory option. There is a range of options that this parliament and the government can put in place to ensure that public corporations such as SA Water serve the common good. With those few words, I move:

Leave out all words after 'that' and insert: 'the bill be withdrawn and referred to the Select Committee on SA Water for its report and recommendations.'

Debate adjourned on motion of the Hon. B.V. Finnigan.