Question Time

Adelaide Desalination Plant

The Hon. S.L. GAME (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, regarding the Adelaide Desalination Plant.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: The Adelaide Desalination Plant produces fresh water from sea water by forcing sea water through filters. The water which passes through the filters is fresh water. The water that does not pass through the filters is mainly brine, with data showing that the salt concentration is at times twice that of sea water. The brine discharge also contains traces of a large number of chemicals used in the cleaning of the plant. The chemicals are toxic and include detergents, biocides, chelators, acids and caustics, as well as heavy metals.

AdelaideAqua D&C Consortium operates the desalination plant and is required to monitor some of the chemicals in the brine discharge, while the Environment Protection Authority monitors the brine discharge pumped into the sea from Lonsdale. My questions to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, are:

1. Will the government make public the full list of all chemicals being used to maintain the desalination plant?

2. Are all the chemicals used at the Adelaide Desalination Plant being monitored in the brine discharge?

3. Given the unexplained death of many marine animals reported in the past six months, what is the government doing to rule out long-term brine discharge as the cause of these deaths?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for her questions. I will pass them on to the relevant minister in another place. I will just check as I'm not sure if it's Minister Close. I suspect that Minister Champion might have responsibility for the desal plant with SA Water as part of the infrastructure portfolio, but I will check which is the correct minister and make sure a reply is brought back for the honourable member.