Wastewater Allocations

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:15): I have a further supplementary. What consultation has been undertaken by the government in relation to dispersing that water to existing growers as opposed to options for storage?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:15): There is no ability to disperse that amount of water—20 gigalitres. Currently, 17 gigalitres goes through the Virginia pipeline. There is no opportunity for that 20 gigalitres to be dispersed continuously around the year without over-winter storage. There is not the demand for that amount of water. That would mean a huge amount of expenditure on pipe and dam infrastructure or storage infrastructure of some sort. That is what the Hon. Mr Ridgway sees as his policy way forward.

What we have identified is a preferred proponent who will utilise that water all year round, not necessitating over-winter storage and, additionally, the preferred proponent offers more jobs for South Australians in terms of their development. What is so hard to understand about that being the reason why they were selected as preferred proponent? They must now go through the feasibility study stage. That is what they must do. They must develop their business case.

We have some money donated to that process through the federal government, minister Barnaby Joyce made that available to us and we are very grateful for it. That is the process now that we are entering into to work up that feasibility study. But how is it hard for the Hon. Mr Ridgway to understand that a project that will utilise water all year round in high-tech greenhouses, targeted at overseas markets, is the preferred option when the job outcomes so vastly exceed any other model?