Tod Reservoir

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. With the intended decommissioning of the Tod Reservoir on Eyre Peninsula, how does SA Water anticipate fulfilling its commitment to supply 600 megalitres a year to the Lincoln Minerals graphite development?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:36): My understanding is that, in fact, SA Water is rebuilding the dam wall of the Tod Reservoir for safety reasons. My understanding is that the current wall doesn't meet the ANCOLD guidelines—the Australian federal government's guidelines on dam construction—and that is the immediate action that SA Water is undertaking at the minute.

In regard to any further demands for water in the area, they will be met by the process that everybody has to go through if they are requesting further water supplies, and that is to go through their suitable approaches through the natural resource management process if they want water from groundwater sources. If they want to look at the possibility of utilising Tod Reservoir water, then that is something that proponents can take up with SA Water.

As most of us should know, Tod Reservoir water is not suitable for drinking at this point in time. It is too heavily saline, but it may well be fit for purpose for industrial or indeed mining purposes. As I say, the dam is not being decommissioned. The dam wall is going to be strengthened to bring it into line with the ANCOLD guidelines for dam wall safety.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Mr Stephens.