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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-30 Daily Xml
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Question Time

WATER SECURITY

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): My question is to the Minister for Water Security. Why has South Australia's investment in water and sewerage infrastructure lagged behind national trends? In the latest report headed 'Engineering Construction (South Australia)' by Engineers Australia regarding this state's performance in developing water infrastructure, several statements have been made. They include:

The sharp rise in engineering construction on water and sewerage facilities, evident in other jurisdictions in 2006, was much more muted in South Australia.

It also states in relation to national trends:

Following a burst of activity in SA from 1998 to 1999, this changed in 2002-03 and, since then, the SA trend has lagged progressively further behind.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (14:14): Where are you sitting, Vickie? This is a really important question because it enables me to highlight to the house the fantastic work that the government is doing in relation to infrastructure and water security. We are in the grip of one of the most severe droughts—or the most severe drought—on record. It is an extreme drought event that has been going on for a number of years that is creating all sorts of hardship for communities in South Australia and, indeed, across the Murray-Darling Basin. It would augur well for the opposition to get on board and help communities instead of being divisive in the area of water. South Australia has a proud history—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: South Australia has a very proud history in leading the nation in regard to water infrastructure.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: South Australia has an extremely proud history in relation to leading the nation on water infrastructure. South Australia has over $2 billion currently under construction. Over the forward estimates, SA Water has, I am advised—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: —around $3.5 billion on the books for infrastructure investment in the water space. This is a fantastic investment and building a platform for the future. It includes desalination and it includes recycling. We are leading the nation not by a little bit, but by a long shot in relation to—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for MacKillop!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: —water re-use. As a state, we are leading the nation in regard—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: If you believe that, you are in dreamland. Obviously you are in dreamland.

The Hon. J.W. Weatherill interjecting:

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: If you haven't got a leader, you are not leading the nation. What we are doing in South Australia is quite extraordinary. The national average for water re-use is around 13 per cent. In recent times, the South Australian government has increased our re-use of water from 20 per cent to 30 per cent and, with projects under construction, we will be increasing that to 45 per cent.

In the last five years of the Liberal government, they struggled to actually invest in infrastructure for water use under SA Water's capital plan—the five years preceding the election of the Labor Party into government. The investment has increased substantially. In the last two years, since I have been water security minister, we have actually seen a huge increase—a 390 per cent increase in our investment in water infrastructure. That is a good thing for South Australians. It is building a platform for water security into the future. It is building a security that was never there in the past. South Australians will now look forward to a brighter future in relation to water because of the investment that we are undertaking right now.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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