DESALINATION PLANT

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Will the minister advise the council—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Kandelaars has the call.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: Will the minister advise the council of the importance of the Adelaide desalination plant?

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:17): Yes, on you go, David.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Some nice desal water for all of us. I thank the honourable member for his most important and very timely question. The Adelaide desalination plant is a key component of this government's commitment to guaranteeing Adelaide's water security to 2050. It is South Australia's insurance policy against future droughts and ensures households and businesses have a reliable water source, regardless of the climatic conditions of the day.

The Adelaide desalination project has delivered us a 100-billion litre plant on time and on budget. The investment of $1.824 billion is a substantial and necessary investment in the future of our state. The plant is an investment in the economic development of our state which is underpinned by improved reliability of our water infrastructure. A growing economy places greater demand on our water supplies, and we are now in a position to meet this.

The project has also provided an immediate benefit to the state's economy. More than 10,000 people worked on the project site, I am advised, and almost 600 businesses played a role in delivering this project. More than 75 per cent of the workforce was sourced from local companies, giving our people and businesses of this state the opportunity to contribute to a large and complex world-class project.

Adelaide has relied on our reservoirs in the Adelaide Hills and the River Murray to ensure that water is there when we need it. However, the recent drought showed us that we can't rely on these sources. They are dependent on the climate and will not always be able to supply the water we need when we need it. It was only a few years ago that much of the state was under severe water restrictions and, at that time, cabinet was actively considering supplying bottled water to some communities due to the saltiness of the River Murray.

The Adelaide desalination plant was built to ensure our water security. While the easing of the drought has provided a couple of good years of rainfall, this source of water is not guaranteed, as all members know. Water from the desalination plant removes our reliance on climate-dependent sources of water. In addition, the desalination plant means that we are reducing our reliance on the River Murray. South Australia led the charge last year to ensure a healthy future for the River Murray. Without our fight we would not have achieved the return of 3,200 billion litres of water to the Murray, which the scientists tell us—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: They would be well advised to hang their head in shame and keep quiet during this debate.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The honourable minister has the call.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Their history on the River Murray leaves a lot to be desired. Without our fight we would not have achieved the return of the 3,200 billion litres of water to the Murray, which the scientists tell us is what is needed for a healthy river. Six billion litres per annum will be returned to improve the health of the River Murray as an environmental allocation. In addition, the state government has committed to an environmental reserve that will return up to 120 gigalitres of water to the environment over a 10 year rolling period.

This desalination plant ensures that the future growth of our population and our economy will not mean an increased take from the river; our future needs can be met from the desalination plant. Already this year we have consumed more than 15 billion litres of desalinated drinking water. This is 15 billion litres of water that we have not had to pump from the River Murray during what has been a hot and dry start to the year.

I would like to acknowledge SA Water's delivery team, its advisers and the project contractors involved in the design, the build, the operation and the maintenance contracts associated with the project. The desalination plant was designed and built by multinational consortium AdelaideAqua D&C Consortium, which comprises McConnell Dowell Constructors, Abigroup Contractors and ACCIONA Agua. It is currently being operated under a 20 year operation and maintenance contract by AdelaideAqua Pty Ltd, which is a joint venture equally owned by ACCIONA Agua and TRILITY.

Everyone involved should be proud to have contributed to such an important piece of infrastructure and to be part of South Australia's water history. The desalination plant gives South Australians the water security we need for decades to come.