Question Time

GAWLER EAST DEVELOPMENT

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning a question about third party access to sewers in the recently announced Gawler East development.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: As members will recall (those who were there), in late 2006 I introduced three bills in relation to water. One in particular was to allow third party access to sewers. The Hon. Mr Finnigan was the spokesman on behalf of the government on that day. He indicated in his contribution that the government was not prepared to support the bill that would allow third party access to the sewers as part of an approach, as the opposition saw at the time, to help relieve the tremendous stress on our water resources. In closing his contribution on that issue he said:

Finally, as part of its 2006 election proposals, the government committed to amending SA Water's legislation to ensure that it implements environmentally friendly water initiatives and policies and to modernising the Waterworks Act 1932 and the Sewerage Act 1929 to ensure that they support 21^st century ideals with regard to water conservation and recycling.

Recently, the minister has made a number of announcements in relation to the area known as Gawler East, or Concordia, and, in particular, a new development that has been proposed for that area. I have been advised that the developer has access to the sewers in that area for water recycling. My questions to the minister are:

1. Given that the government has not amended the Waterworks Act and the Sewerage Act and has failed to support the opposition bill to allow third party access, albeit with regulation, why has the government allowed third party access to the sewer in this particular case?

2. When will we see the amendments to the Waterworks Act and the Sewerage Act?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:31): At present, the changes to the act are obviously the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Water Security, and I will pass on to her that part of the question.

In relation to third party access, my understanding is that the issue has always been a matter of developing a code before one does that. There are obviously some limits on the amount of water one can mine from sewage, otherwise it becomes so bulky that you will have problems of movement of that sewage. So there has to be some limit to how much one can take out.

In relation to Gawler East, I am not sure what the particular situation is but, wherever possible, it is obviously a good thing. There are a number of places where treated effluent is used, and has been for many years. For example, treated water from the Bolivar treatment works is used extensively throughout the Virginia region for market gardens. Also, treated effluent from the Aldinga treatment plant is used. In relation to new developments, of course, it is a matter of what arrangements are made with SA Water, or whatever agencies are responsible for the sewerage. I do not think the government has ever had any objection in principle to the use of it: rather, one needs very carefully controlled conditions under which that should happen so that it does not affect the handling of the sewage itself.

But they are matters that are more for my colleague the Minister for Water Security, so I will pass the question on to her because, obviously, she is in a much better position than I am to know the technical limitations in relation to the use of sewage; also, she is in a better position to respond in relation to any legislative reforms.