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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-11 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

DESALINATION PLANT

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (14:09): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: I am pleased to advise today that the environmental impact statement for the Adelaide desalination project at Port Stanvac was provided to the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. Publication of the EIS and its supporting scientific analysis is part of the major development assessment process which ensures the highest level of environmental scrutiny available in South Australia.

The statement details key environmental aspects for consideration in the plant construction and also includes an updated cost estimate for the project, which incorporates costs of inflation and accelerating construction. The cost estimate is now $1.374 billion. Of course, final costings will be available once the final design of the project is complete.

The EIS project by SA Water addresses all the sensitive issues associated with the project, such as the potential impact on the marine environment in Gulf St Vincent. Members of the public, government agencies, community groups and local councils will be invited to consider the EIS as part of a six-week consultation period and lodge submissions to be considered by SA Water as part of the development assessment process. This six-week public consultation period runs until Wednesday 24 December 2008, with submissions to be lodged with Planning SA by the Christmas Eve deadline.

A public meeting to be organised by Planning SA will be held on Monday 17 November at 7:30pm at the Hallett Cove Baptist Community Centre. The features of the EIS Include:

fast-tracking of the desalination plant located at Port Stanvac with a rated capacity of 150 megalitres per day (about 50 gigalitres a year, with a capacity to upgrade to 100 gigalitres a year) using reverse osmosis technology;

intakes and outlets up to 2.5 kilometres long to draw raw seawater into the facility and disburse concentrate to the gulf;

environmental performance objectives and criteria that underpin the design, construction and operational phases;

the development of sound management strategies and monitoring plans to avoid, minimise and/or mitigate any potential impacts; and

meeting the standards set by Planning SA and agencies, such as the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), in the delivery of the proposed desalination plant.

Publication of the EIS is an important stage in the design and approval process for the desalination plant. The state government and SA Water are committed to informing the community on the design and construction of this project, which will provide Adelaide with a secure supply of water that does not rely on rainfall.

SA Water is requiring its contractors to ensure that the detailed environmental performance requirements are achieved through all stages of the project. The publication of the EIS provides the community and government agencies with an opportunity to examine all the information that will assist in the design of the plant and the supporting infrastructure.

SA Water has established detailed environmental performance objectives and criteria in consultation with the EPA and other agencies to come up with the concept designed to inform modelling of the final detailed design for the project. The EIS addresses more than 100 separate environmental, social and economic issues identified by the independent Development Assessment Commission. These issues include:

potential impacts on the marine environment;

climate change and greenhouse gas emissions;

effects on terrestrial and marine flora and fauna;

construction impacts, including noise, dust, odour and vibration;

infrastructure requirements, including the inlet and outlet pipelines;

traffic generation and implications for the local and arterial road network;

visual and community impacts from the proposed development;

land contamination; and

indigenous and non-indigenous heritage.

The views of key stakeholders—including the EPA, the Department for Environment and Heritage, the Coastal Protection Board, the DWLBC, the Fisheries Office of Primary Industries and Resources SA, the Onkaparinga and Marion councils, and the broader community—will be taken into consideration. Following the consultation period, SA Water will prepare a written response that addresses matters raised in public submissions. The EIS for the proposed desalination plants and more detail about the major development assessment can be found online at www.planning.sa.gov.au.

As part of the state government's Four Ways to Water Security strategy, the desalination plant is an investment for the future that will provide us with a climate independent source of water. The EIS is a critical step in the development of this major project.

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