Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Desalination Plant DESALINATION PLANT The Hon. T.A. FRANKS Legislative Council DESALINATION PLANT The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:23): I have a supplementary question. How does the minister reconcile his answer with the fact that SA Water has reported to ESCOSA that we are, in fact, projected to take additional waters from the Murray in coming years? The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation DESALINATION PLANT The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:24): As a government we have always said that we will balance our water use and take from the sources we have, dependent on the climatic conditions of the day. We have never said that we will not be taking water from the River Murray: of course we will, when the River Murray is in a healthy state that allows that to happen. However, if there were another drought that usually means there would be less rainfall to fill our reservoirs and less water coming down the river. That is when you will be in here congratulating us for building the desal plant.