Middle River Reservoir

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation regarding Kangaroo Island's Middle River Reservoir. Can the minister please confirm whether South Australia's Middle River Reservoir on Kangaroo Island has a major structural defect and may require replacing?

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Sorry, major structural?

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Can the minister please confirm whether SA Water's Middle River Reservoir, on KI, has major structural defects and may require replacing?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:20): I thank the honourable member for his important question. I am not, I believe, aware of major structural defects at the Middle River Reservoir on KI that may require, did you say, replacement? I do know that we have a constant management plan for our major reservoirs, of course, and SA Water is currently undergoing a consultation round on KI about future water requirements and are consulting with the local community.

There is probably, as a result, in all of our reservoirs ongoing maintenance required and I know we are investing hugely in the Tod Reservoir, near Port Lincoln, and of course Kangaroo Creek Dam spillway and the raising the dam wall upgrade there. These are routine requirements to bring those reservoirs up to what are now new ANCOLD guidelines, which weren't in existence when the reservoirs were built, obviously. They are major investments.

I am not presently aware—but I stand to be corrected by some notice that comes through to me from the agency—that there is a similar situation on KI, but I think the best thing to do is to take the honourable member's question back, ask the agency to give me the information he requires, and bring it back for him.