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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-28 Daily Xml
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BOATS, GREY WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (15:47): Today I rise to speak about a unique piece of engineering developed in South Australia: a world-first grey water treatment system for boats and particularly houseboats. I have spoken about this issue in this house before, back in 2003, and despite the continued environmental decline of the Murray River the government has done nothing to ensure that this invention has the financial support to proceed to full-scale marketing and manufacture.

Following trials conducted by the South Australian Environment Protection Authority (the EPA) in 2006, the system was found to be the first and only system to comply with the new standards set out by the EPA. The grey water treatment system was invented by a retired professional engineer residing in Mannum in my electorate—I will be there tonight—Mr Colin Newton, and has been named the Newtreat system. It is believed by the Boating Industry of South Australia to be the only one of its kind in the world, and thus it is of significant interest to South Australian, Australian and global markets.

The system allows recreational boats to return treated, clean water to the river system, directly straight back into the water. It works by filtering the grease, fats and other things from the grey water and then treats the water removing all the nasties. The system is capable of treating grey water to a level suitable for return to the freshwater river environment: in fact, cleaner than when it was taken from the river.

Last year the EPA of South Australia officially recognised the system as being suitable for use on board boats after lengthy testing and analysis of water samples by the Australian Water Quality Centre was undertaken. However, despite this endorsement and the introduction of legislation prohibiting the discharge of grey water from houseboats and other vessels travelling on inland waters in South Australia, the state government has failed to show its support for this world-first system, which has been developed in our state.

In July last year, the EPA released a Draft Code of Practice for Vessel and Facility Management: Marine and Inland Waters (2007), outlining compliance dates for boat operators to correctly and adequately manage their waste water. The EPA requirements state that by 31 December 2010, all vessels fitted with a sink, hand or washbasins, dishwashers, washing machines, spa and showers must either retain their grey water on board and it is to be pumped out into a land-based system, or install a grey water system to treat the waste on board.

I have to say that, given the EPA's regulations and the fact that the EPA has endorsed a system developed and invented by a South Australian, the inaction and disinterest that has been shown by the government is absolutely ridiculous. I just cannot understand it. What they need to do is get off their butts and to recognise the great opportunity to seize the initiative. This is all about saving water, health and convenience and an opportunity to attract world attention, world focus.

Mr Newton estimates the cost he has incurred by inventing and developing the system will exceed $1 million. He spent $20,000 just on lawyers for the Australian patents and is now working on the international patents. For all the effort, time and money Mr Newton has put in, he has received just two grants (totalling $10,000) for his innovative and groundbreaking work—a far cry from what this man has put in. I raised this matter five years ago and, to date, the government has offered no support to help to ensure this invention can be further developed and manufactured in Australia. It has been improved over the five years, particularly with the electronics that are now involved.

At the same time, I also raised the problem of the lack of pump-out stations in the region, particularly in Walker Flat, where negotiations do not seem to be bringing in anything much. Not much is happening there, although I do believe there has been some progress, but it has been years without a pump-out station. This completely contradicts some of the state government's stated objectives in the State Strategic Plan. In the plan the government states that a key initiative to growing prosperity in South Australia is said to be to provide 'ongoing support for innovation across industry and economy'.

The plan also states that South Australia's prosperity 'depends on the imagination, courage, talent and energy of our citizens' and 'this capacity to do things differently will determine whether we can achieve all of our goals for the state's future'. This grey water system is innovative: it was invented by a talented South Australian, who dared to do something different—a world first. He is yet to see any major form of support from the state government. I ask the Premier and the state government: does the government intend to stand by the plan, or merely more rhetoric? There is interest from other people from interstate and, if we do not do something about it, we will lose this opportunity because Victorians and New South Welshmen are certainly very interested. The general manager of the Boating Industry Association of South Australia says, 'We want this project to continue and it is a great success.'

Time expired.

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