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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-10-23 Daily Xml
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WATER SECURITY

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (14:51): My question is to the Premier. Why was he the last of the Murray-Darling Basin state premiers to recognise the need to provide water incentive rebates to South Australian householders? Water conservation incentive schemes, upon which the Premier's announcement on Sunday was based, have already been introduced by other Labor state governments—New South Wales, March 2006; Queensland, June 2006; and Victoria, as early as January 2003.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Small Business, Minister Assisting the Minister for Industry and Trade) (14:52): The South Australian government takes the issue of water savings very seriously. Following the drought of 2002-03, when South Australia experienced the introduction of water restrictions for a very short period—I think it was about three months on domestic consumers—the South Australian government determined to introduce to this place legislation which introduced permanent water conservation measures in 2002-03 to reduce the use of water by domestic consumers and also to encourage more efficient use by industrial users.

South Australians then did not experience domestic water restrictions again until this year—the most extreme drought event that we have faced since the settlement of South Australia. Restrictions were introduced in October last year, and we also introduced at about that time rebates for tap timers and low-flow showerheads, and also rainwater tank rebates. The recent announcement in relation to the extension of those incentives is about ensuring long-term, better wise water use within the home. We encourage South Australians to take up these incentives and we also ask the Liberal opposition to get on board with the water issues and to start walking a little bipartisan as everyone else seems to be.

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