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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-19 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

WATER SECURITY

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (14:05): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Securing the state's long-term water supply is this government's highest priority. Through our Four Ways to Water Security strategy, we are working tirelessly to meet the challenges of an unprecedented severe drought—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: —and to deliver ongoing water security for South Australians. Today, I am pleased to advise the house that a multinational consortium, Adelaide Aqua, has been named as the preferred bidder for construction of Adelaide's desalination plant. The company comprises Spanish firm Acciona Agua, United Utilities, McConnell Dowell and Abigroup Contractors. Adelaide Aqua was selected following a competitive and comprehensive evaluation process undertaken by SA Water with three short-listed groups.

Each of the entities involved in Adelaide Aqua has demonstrated strong environmental credentials and commitments. The state government will not compromise on the health of the Gulf St Vincent. The companies involved in this consortium have significant experience in constructing and operating desalination plants around the world, in particular, in the application of leading edge reverse osmosis technology.

The 50 gigalitre Adelaide desalination plant will provide Adelaide with one quarter of its annual water use and is a climate-independent source of water. It will be powered using sustainable energy sources. I formally acknowledge Adelaide Aqua, SA Water and the project's specialist advisers for undertaking these negotiations with the highest levels of probity and professionalism, particularly under such tight timelines.

I am pleased to advise the house that today the Premier and I also had the opportunity to taste the first glass of desalinated water from the pilot plant, which is currently undertaking testing at Port Stanvac. Yesterday, the Premier, the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water and I marked the completion of the Lower Lakes potable pipeline project. This pipeline network is the first in a $120 million integrated pipeline system for the Lower Lakes communities, providing security and continuity of water supply for users who previously accessed their supply from the Lower Lakes. This project is part of the state government's $610 million Murray Futures package, which has been funded through the commonwealth government's Water for the Future program. It is designed to change the way the River Murray system and irrigation industries are managed in South Australia. At the height of construction, crews were laying pipes at around 3½ to four kilometres a day, so to complete 160 kilometres of pipeline in this short period is a fantastic achievement.

Other significant water security measures recently announced include the $62.6 million Southern Urban Reuse Project, which will supply 1.6 billion litres of treated waste water per year to new housing developments in Adelaide's southern suburbs and the $20 million stormwater capture and reuse project as part of the Cheltenham racecourse development, which will include a wetland and aquifer storage and recovery scheme with the capacity to treat, store, recover and reuse approximately 1.2 gigalitres of stormwater per year.

Also, this week the state government is asking the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to commission urgent works to help prevent acidification and irreversible ecological collapse of the Goolwa channel freshwater refuges and wetlands near Currency Creek and Finniss Creek. The channel and wetlands are at risk of acidifying because of severe drought and declining water levels. CSIRO scientists estimate 480,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid has already been produced in 2,000 hectares of exposed sediments in the Lower Lakes. The state government is forwarding a project for action to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the federal government this week.

A number of options were investigated for the channel and, following extensive engineering investigations and community consultation, two options have been identified as the most feasible solutions for the area. Both these options include building environmental flow regulators across the Goolwa Channel and at the end of Currency Creek and the Finniss River.

This would create a pool of water in the Goolwa Channel. Initially, up to 30 gigalitres would need to be pumped into the pool from Lake Alexandrina to raise the water level sufficiently to re-wet the main areas of exposed sediments. The total project is estimated to be up to $26 million. An extensive enhancement of the current bioremediation program will also be accelerated as a consequence of last week's $10 million commitment from the federal government.

While managing the drought is currently at the forefront of our decision-making, it is important to continue progress on the long-term targets to ensure that when the drought breaks the environment will be better off. We recently announced that the state government has secured its share of the national Living Murray initiative to target 500 gigalitres of water to return to the environment by mid-2009.

South Australia's 35 gigalitres is made up of purchases of water from willing sellers in South Australia and also government-owned licences that will be acquired and delivered to the Living Murray initiative by the June deadline. Funds contributed by South Australians through the Save the Murray levy have enabled permanent licences to be bought which will reduce the total volume of water extracted from the system. The next step is to transfer this water to the Living Murray.

The state government is also undertaking significant work on a comprehensive plan for South Australia's water needs, including a review of our current water legislation, to ensure that it meets the challenges and opportunities of the future. The projects detailed today are significant and designed to ensure that South Australians have access to a secure water supply in the long term, particularly during times of severe drought.

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