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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-02 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

WATER FOR GOOD

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (14:04): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: On Monday 29 June, the Premier launched Water for Good, which is a comprehensive plan to guarantee South Australia's water security to 2050 and beyond. This plan builds on seven years of South Australia's nation-leading reform and tireless action to both protect and make better use of our water. It builds on the extensive investment that our government is making to secure South Australia's water supply.

Through more than 90 deliverable actions outlined in Water for Good we will diversify our water sources, improve water conservation and efficiency and ensure that there is enough water available for the state to fully capture emerging economic opportunities while reducing our reliance on the River Murray and other rain-dependent water resources.

Construction of our 100 gigalitre desalination plant is well underway, providing first water by the end of next year. By 2013 our stormwater re-use will have more than doubled; by 2025 we aim to be harvesting 35 billion litres of stormwater for re-use; and by 2050 we expect this to have increased to 75 billion litres across the state. The most up-to-date, comprehensive and realistic assessment of Adelaide's large-scale stormwater harvesting potential—that is, the Urban Stormwater Harvesting Options Study—was undertaken by the Stormwater Management Authority. It provides for the first time a detailed and realistic assessment of Adelaide's large-scale stormwater harvesting potential and it identifies the potential for up to 60 billion litres per year to be harvested.

It will, however, take time to fully develop Adelaide's stormwater harvesting potential, and the capture of very large volumes of stormwater is neither easy nor cheap. The Urban Stormwater Harvesting Options Study has informed the government's submission for funding from the commonwealth that was recently lodged to contribute to important stormwater initiatives worth $145 million across Adelaide, from the airport to new developments in Adelaide's north and south.

The state government has committed about $45 million to these projects across different agencies, plus what was committed in the budget, and the local governments of Charles Sturt, Onkaparinga, Salisbury and Playford along with other partners will also commit substantial funding. These projects will harvest more than 8,000 million litres of stormwater for treatment through aquifer storage and recovery schemes. The projects are:

Water Proofing the West, which is a $58.6 million scheme which will harvest 2,500 million litres through wetland and aquifer storage and recovery projects at Cheltenham, Riverside Golf Club and Old Port Road;

the Adelaide Airport Stormwater Scheme, which is a $9.7 million scheme which will harvest up to 1,000 megalitres (or 1,000 million litres) of stormwater to reduce the draw on mains and groundwater supplies;

the Unity Park biofiltration project, which is valued at $14 million and involves expanding the existing scheme at Pooraka to harvest an extra 1,300 megalitres to supply local industry, schools and sports facilities;

Water for the Future, which is a $19.2 million project which is building on the success of Water Proofing Northern Adelaide to harvest an additional 640 megalitres for irrigation of sports reserves and gardens;

Water Proofing the South stage 2, which is another $30 million project which is using sites at Reynella East, Pedler Creek Reserve and Port Willunga to harvest 2,200 megalitres per year;

the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Aquifer Storage and Recovery Scheme, which is a $5.8 million project harvesting and treating 100 megalitres of stormwater which will replace drinking water used currently to irrigate the Botanical Gardens; and

the Barker Inlet Stormwater Reuse Scheme, which is a $7.8 million scheme which is an SA Water project using existing wetlands to harvest 350 megalitres to supply industrial and commercial customers in the Regency Park area.

These are all fantastic projects. We will also build on our nation-leading efforts in wastewater recycling, with 45 per cent of urban wastewater recycled by 2014 and up to 75 billion litres across the state by 2050.

By 2014, we will have independent economic regulation of our water and wastewater services while maintaining state ownership of our water infrastructure, and we will have opened it up to provide third party access and new entrants to our infrastructure. We will have a single, overarching water industry and planning act to manage a more competitive and diverse water industry, with the discussion paper to be released later this year that will inform the development of legislation to be introduced next year.

Across South Australia demand and supply plans will be in place to ensure that long-term solutions for each region are based on local needs and local knowledge. Additional water resources, including desalinated sea water, will supplement supplies in areas such as the Eyre Peninsula, subject, of course, to site and environmental investigations.

The regional plans are already being rolled out, with the first on Eyre Peninsula being completed, Yorke Peninsula is underway—and I thank the honourable member, because he has had a strong involvement and I appreciate his support for that project—and also Kangaroo Island.

Water for Good will ensure that South Australia is well placed to meet new challenges and manage future demands for generations of South Australians to come.

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