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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-04 Daily Xml
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STORMWATER HARVESTING

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:07): Once again, my question is to the Attorney, and I hope and pray that he answers it. Attorney, what is the scientific basis of your comments, on behalf of the government this week, that deride stormwater harvesting—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: —I think I got the answer, sir—treatment and re-use is a danger to the public? Is this now the official view of the government?

The Attorney-General volunteered a range of thoughts deriding the capture, treatment and re-use of stormwater during a call he made to radio station FIVEaa on Monday. However, a number of councils across Adelaide are successfully and profitably making use of stormwater. The Attorney-General's comments conflict with statements made by his cabinet colleagues and prominent water experts such as the CSIRO, Mr Colin Pitman, and a number of city mayors.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (15:08): Once again, I take great pleasure in answering this question. The state government's position on stormwater is that we think that stormwater is a worthwhile pursuit. We are investing heavily, with our local government partners, in stormwater projects. What the state government does not support is the direct introduction of stormwater into our potable water supply.

The South Australian government believes that there are too many risks and too many variables in the current known technologies in stormwater treatment to inject that water directly into our drinking supplies. The South Australian government will not put at risk the drinking water of South Australians.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: We will, however, do what is currently being done by the Salisbury council and other local governments. We will invest, with our partners, in harvesting, treating and reusing stormwater for non-potable uses such as parks, gardens and industries. That is what is happening in Salisbury. That is what we intend to do, unlike the opposition which is committed to putting stormwater directly into the drinking water supply, which, of course, this government would not risk.

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