DESALINATION PLANT

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —a question on the subject of the assessment report prepared by his department into the desalination plant.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On 3 March, in this place, the minister answered a question that one might assume was expected in relation to the assessment prepared by him as minister into the proposed Port Stanvac desalination project. This project has been the subject of much discussion on talkback radio and, in particular, I note an interview on the afternoon of 27 February with the new water security commissioner. A caller by the name of David phoned up to inquire as to the plant's carbon footprint. Commissioner Robyn McLeod said:

My understanding is that the government has committed that it will be powered by renewable power...

David responded:

What? Wind power?

And the commissioner replied:

Well, some form of renewable power or some system like that ... my understanding is that is what the policy position is ...

Section 4.2 of the assessment report 'State Government Policy' refers to targets within the State Strategic Plan, the Planning Strategy for Metropolitan Adelaide and the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Plan. There is no reference in there to energy consumption or sources of energy; this is dealt with in a completely separate section on environmental assessment, which is part 6 where, on page 48, it states:

The EIS is unclear as to how carbon neutrality will be achieved. As a result the EIS is unclear about the total greenhouse footprint for the plant.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Does he accept that the water security commissioner was incorrect or at least does not understand what the government policy is?

2. Given that the government could not reach any conclusion as to the plant's footprint, is it a credible claim that it will be carbon neutral?

3. At what level was that so-called policy decision made to describe the plant as carbon neutral; was it the Premier's office, was it the Minister for Urban Development and Planning, or was it one of minister Maywald's agencies?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:30): The Port Stanvac desalination plant is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Water Security. It is her office, of course, that put up the proposals for that desalination plant. It was put up, of course, as a major project and it was assessed through the Department of Urban Development and Planning as a major project. My job as the minister on that was to ensure that the desalination plant assessment was successfully undertaken and to ensure that it was a proper process.

The advice that I have is that the electricity to power the plant will be supplied from the grid but sourced from renewable energy sources. If the honourable member has any specific questions in relation to the specifics of the operation of that plant, I am happy to refer those through to the appropriate minister but, as far as my responsibilities go, I am satisfied that the environmental impact statement has met the appropriate standards to ensure that the Port Stanvac plant will not just adequately meet the needs of this state for water but it will do so in a way that has minimal impact upon the environment.

As I said, if the honourable member has particular questions, I am happy to refer the details but, in relation to her latter question, it is certainly not the Department of Urban Development and Planning that is responsible for the description of this plant. Clearly, my job as minister is simply to assess the environmental impact statement of that plant, but it is up to SA Water, as the proponent of the plant, to put the proposals up.