Question Time

BHP BILLITON, DESALINATION PLANT

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:06): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resource Development a question about the desalination plant planned for Port Bonython as part of the BHP Roxby Downs expansion.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Members would be well aware that tomorrow the environmental impact statement for the Roxby Downs expansion will be publicly released. I think it is an important day for BHP and also for the state to see that report out for public comment. The desalination plant planned for Port Bonython will produce some 240 megalitres a day, which is about 80 megalitres a day more than BHP needs for its processing and production at Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam.

Yesterday, during a question on the economy and small business, the minister reminded us again that one of the reasons that small businesses have closed in this state was the fact that we have been in drought for four or five years and that this one is the worst in our nation's history.

It is also interesting to note that the Premier has been an advocate for climate change and the fact that we are likely to have less water in this state for a significant amount of time. In fact, his first comments about climate change were back in 1989, so he has been an advocate of climate change and suggesting that we should be cautious going forward.

My question to the minister is: what is the government doing to facilitate the use of the extra 80 megalitres a day for the Upper Spencer Gulf communities?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:07): The honourable member knows that the environmental impact statement in relation to the Port Bonython plant and all the other features associated with the Olympic Dam expansion will be released tomorrow. I would have thought that, at the very least, the honourable member should read that part of the environmental impact statement to understand BHP's plans for it. Then I will be happy to answer the question.

It is coming out tomorrow, so I suggest that the honourable member wait 24 hours. This is the problem with the opposition: it cannot wait for 24 hours. It was the same with select committees before. This is the largest environmental impact statement this state has ever seen, including the issue of desalination, and there will be great detail in that environmental impact statement about exactly what BHP wants to do and why. I suggest that, rather than trying to pre-empt it, the honourable member should wait for less than 24 hours when that EIS will be available, and he can then read for himself what BHP Billiton intends to do in relation to water.