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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-26 Daily Xml
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STATE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT REPORT

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (14:11): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This is the fifth State of Our Environment report for South Australia. The report is prepared by the independent statutory body, the Environment Protection Authority, overseen by the report steering committee which comprises experts from both within and outside government and is extensively peer reviewed. It is a key diagnostic tool to assess the condition of the environment, identify trends over time and the pressures influencing these trends, and identify emerging environmental issues.

It will come as no surprise to members that the report documents some concerning trends. We are experiencing the effects of both climate change and an acute drought. The report notes that the environment is under significant stress. The report finds that the health of rivers, streams and wetlands of the River Murray flood plain is declining due to over-extractions of water from the river system, increasing salt levels, drought and the non-delivery of environmental flows. The Coorong and Lower Lakes are described as being in the poorest condition ever recorded, and inland waterway ecosystem health is generally declining.

The report sets out some of the steps that the government and the community are taking to tackle these challenges, particularly in respect of water reuse. It shows that our household water consumption per capita is the third-lowest in the nation. There has been a marked increase in the reuse of stormwater and wastewater during the past five years between 2003 and 2006-07. In fact, the report states that greater volumes of wastewater and stormwater are being recycled and reused in South Australia than anywhere else in urban Australia.

The report states that we reuse approximately 3,500 megalitres of stormwater per year. This number is set to increase with the implementation of a range of stormwater initiatives including further wetland and aquifer storage and recovery projects and the plumbing in of rainwater tanks and water-sensitive urban design.

As the Minister for Water Security recently stated in this house, we are on track to increase this to over 21,000 megalitres in the medium term. We reuse 30 per cent of our total wastewater flow, up from only 7.6 per cent in 1995. That is expected to increase to a level in the order of 45 per cent in the coming years. While the report calls for more action, this independent report clearly rebuts the opposition's allegations of failure in respect of water reuse.

The facts in the report also rebut the allegation that we have somehow failed to meet the recommendations of the 2003 SOE report in respect of reuse which I remind members were:

to give priority to the development of policy that encourages water conservation and efficiency by all users and fosters water recycling and reuse schemes throughout urban areas; and

to reduce the impact of urban stormwater, treated wastewater and industrial discharges on the marine environment.

We have met both, and we will continue that process. There is no doubt that we need to preserve our coastal and marine environment for future generations. The report shows that on the metropolitan coast seagrass areas continue to decline along with areas of rocky reef. However, the report also shows that we are addressing these issues. The Adelaide Coastal Waters Study led to a development of the Port Waterways Water Quality Improvement Plan, and the water quality in the Port River has significantly improved. Retention of wastewater and stormwater and the reduction of discharges of major pollutants will assist in retaining seagrass health.

Fauna species on the threatened list increased from 256 to 323 between 2002 and 2008. Flora species listed on the threatened list increased from 785 to 814 in the same period. Part of the increases occurred because of new discoveries of previously unrecorded species and through taxonomy changes, but historic loss of habitat, coupled with drought and climate change, have caused increased pressures on these species. Therefore, part of the solution is to increase habitat on a large scale that enables threatened species to adapt to change.

The government has committed that it will establish five landscape scale biodiversity corridors by 2010. These corridors will create vast areas of vital habitat to increase ecosystem resilience and enhance the capacity of species to cope with stresses. Some indicators are mixed. For instance, in respect of land use, soil erosion and dryland salinity are decreasing through better farm management practices, and there has been virtual cessation of land clearing; but, on the other hand, intensity of use and encroachment by urban residential areas is increasing. The report identifies areas of improvement.

South Australia's net greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by around 7 per cent since 1990. This includes the offsets of emission from land use, land use change and forestry. Even gross emissions have been stable since 2001. There have been a number of contributors to this result. In 2007 the state government passed Australia's first climate change legislation committing us to binding emissions targets. The government is committed to reducing its carbon footprint to zero by 2020.

The proportion of electricity sourced from renewable sources has increased from less than 1 per cent of total energy generation in 2002 to 10 per cent in 2007-08, and is expected to increase to 20 per cent by 2010—10 years ahead of the target the commonwealth government is urging on the states.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Happy to help!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: What a magnificent effort from the Minister for Energy, led by the Premier. We have 58 per cent of the nation's wind power, we lead the nation in grid-connected solar power and the vast majority of the nation's geothermal investment is happening in South Australia.

We have made significant improvements in waste management. The amount of solid waste going to landfill has decreased by over 10 per cent since 2003-04 and resource recovery has increased. The report confirms that South Australians are the nation's leading recyclers on a per capita basis.

That is only a snapshot of the report. There are 41 recommendations calling for action. Each of them will be considered fully and next year I will provide a formal response to parliament. The report constitutes an invaluable resource for us as policy makers, for decisions by business and for communities in deciding how to act to preserve our environment and way of life. Above all, it is a reminder to us not to let the global financial crisis divert our attention from these important environmental challenges. I table the report and I commend it to the parliament.

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