HAWKER WATER SUPPLY

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Will the minister inform the chamber about the government's plan to improve the water supply for the Flinders Ranges town of Hawker?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for her very important question and ongoing interest in matters relating to water and water supply. The town of Hawker which is about 100 kilometres, I am told, north of Port Augusta has presented difficulties for government in delivering the supply of water for quite some time. Indeed, the water supply to Hawker now is sourced from groundwater that contains relatively high levels of totally dissolved solids which is a measure of salinity, as most members will know, and is certainly known for its hardness.

Whilst the water supply to Hawker complies with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011 health criteria, the local community have long regarded it as being too saline for drinking purposes. As a result, the Jay Weatherill government has been keen to ensure the 300 or so people living in Hawker and the people who visit in peak tourist season have a supply of water that meets their needs. That is why I am pleased to announce the Hawker desalination project which will deliver a desalination plant to the Hawker community.

The project, with a capital expenditure of $5.7 million, will achieve the long-term and sustainable potable water supply for the town of Hawker. It will supply water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines for health criteria, but also water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines aesthetic criteria. In simple terms, this will mean that the saline taste many Hawker residents have rightly been concerned about is no longer an issue for them.

Engagement with the community has been integral to this project and I am pleased to advise that the residents of Hawker are certainly onboard with the program. The active members of Hawker do deserve congratulations for getting to this moment. Without their ongoing efforts and the strong leadership of their community, this project would not have been possible. It is anticipated the improved water will be delivered to residents and businesses in the third quarter of 2014 and this is something everyone in this chamber should look forward to when they next visit that area.

This is yet another example of the Jay Weatherill government delivering for citizens in the country and I personally look forward to the day the tap to Hawker's new water supply is turned on.