St Kilda Mangroves

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:42): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question on the topic of the wastewater unit of SA Health and the septic tanks out at St Kilda to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The issues regarding the ongoing hypersaline water leaks from the ponds owned by Buckland Dry Creek Pty Ltd at the St Kilda mangroves continue. Hypersaline groundwater is now swamping residents in St Kilda. Apart from killing garden and street trees, it is now eating away at infrastructure, including septic tanks, posing a serious health hazard.

There are concerns about how this rising hypersaline line groundwater is affecting the septic tanks of residents, with some tanks already struggling and needing to be pumped out. There are further concerns that the salty water will eat away at the concrete structure of the tanks, causing them to start to collapse and leach the contents directly into the ground. My question to the minister is: what is the wastewater management unit of SA Health doing about this matter to ensure that the rising hypersaline groundwater doesn't either erode and destroy the septic tanks in St Kilda, or indeed how are they going to manage the health risks that result?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:44): I thank the honourable member for her question. I was waiting to hear an explanation as to whether or not the issues had been raised with SA Health. I have not personally been briefed on it. I hope those concerns have been raised with SA Health and I will certainly seek information as to any information that public health might be able to provide.