Barossa Valley Water Infrastructure

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:52): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Will the minister inform the house of the recent announcement regarding water infrastructure in the Barossa Valley and how the government is supporting water research?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:53): I commend the honourable member for his timely question. I don't know how he does it, but I only made this announcement a few hours ago. It's quite amazing. He must be plugged in. He is absolutely on the ball.

South Australia has a proud record of using best practice water management to deliver positive economic and social outcomes across our state. Our significant investments in research and critical water infrastructure have already delivered jobs across our state of course, including in Adelaide's north. Of course, nowhere is that more obvious than in our wine regions, including one of the world's best known—the Barossa Valley.

I am advised that more than 210,000 international and domestic tourists visit the Barossa every year, spending money on accommodation and food while supporting local retail outlets, some of them being cellar doors. I am very pleased today to announce, and I will announce it to the house, that the South Australian government will directly support growth in the Barossa Valley's wine industries with an additional $11 million investment by SA Water to deliver an additional three gigalitres of irrigation water, in the first instance, to the region's vineyards.

The investment will see SA Water upgrade two major pipelines and a pumping station that will enable more water to be moved from the River Murray and Warren Reservoir to the Barossa Infrastructure Limited transportation scheme. I am advised that this announcement will create 17 new jobs over the 12-month construction period, and another 84 permanent vineyard jobs and potentially 90 roles in wine production are expected. This announcement is underpinned by an additional $7.4 million investment by Barossa Infrastructure Limited towards the capital cost, and I am also advised that BIL will be spending some more of their own capital on upgrading their existing infrastructure to the tune of about $13 million.

This new three-gigalitre allocation is expected to be available by the end of 2018. The original Barossa Infrastructure Limited water scheme was established, I understand, in 2000. It currently supplies more than 300 customers across the Barossa Valley, delivering significant economic activity to the region. This is another example of the government's commitment to developing economic infrastructure right across our state for South Australians. Economic development projects like this help to ensure that our businesses in Adelaide are growing and employing South Australians.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: In Adelaide.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Sorry—in Adelaide's north.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: I don't think the Barossa considers themselves to be Adelaide's north.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, that is north of Adelaide and I am sure, with people commuting to work, there are a number of people who go up to work in the Barossa who live in the north of Adelaide suburbs. On Tuesday of this week, I also had the pleasure of opening the annual Goyder Institute for Water Research's Water Forum. The forum is an opportunity for industry professionals and scientists to gather and discuss the latest issues, theories and challenges in the water management space.

It is a chance for Goyder to showcase their research and highlight the impact that our state's water science expertise has for policy development and management of our state's water resources. Of course, water is of vital importance to quality of life and also to the economic interests of South Australians, as has been long established and recognised by the South Australian government because we established the Goyder Institute and provided about $50 million for a five-year strategic plan. Following the successful five years, the institute's term was extended again in the 2015-16 state budget for a further four years.

The institute has made a significant investment in developing new knowledge to improve water policy and water management relating to the River Murray, climate change adaptation, urban water management, environmental water and water for industry. This success stems from the way in which Goyder has brought together the combined water expertise of government, the CSIRO, the university sector in this state and business and industry to ensure that water policy development is backed by science and is fit for purpose.

I want to thank the Goyder Institute for hosting the productive forum and for their ongoing work in positioning South Australia and our water industry to take advantage of the international demand for water management expertise and making sure that our water-using sectors in the state are on the cutting edge of technological change.