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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-11-17 Daily Xml
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WATER SECURITY

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Water Security. On 15 October the minister, when claiming that she would not ease water restrictions, said she would not ease water restrictions because 'we have not secured next year's water reserve for critical human needs'. Can the house now assume that water restrictions have been eased because water for critical human needs for the 2010-11-year has been secured? If not, how much water is yet to be secured?

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (15:02): I made it quite clear to the public of South Australia that we would review our domestic water restrictions policy on the basis of water that we had saved from this year's targeted use under our critical human needs supply for this year—and that is exactly what we have done. We have had a wet winter. South Australians have done a tremendous job in conserving water and, as a consequence of that—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I have a point of order. I cannot hear the minister because of the constant interjections.

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Thank you, sir. I said a number of weeks ago—I think about four weeks ago I first mentioned it on Michael Keelan's program—that we were considering how we might utilise the water saved over winter across the summer months and that we were considering introducing a summer or extreme heat policy. I think that is a critical point because South Australia has done very well. South Australians have saved water over winter. In fact, they have used less water than they did last winter and that provides us with a small buffer in which to provide some extra flexibility over summer. This is a good thing to do for people who are doing the right thing.

What we would not do—as I said in that comment that has been selectively quoted by the member for MacKillop—is risk our longer term water supplies by making knee-jerk policy reactions because the dams were spilling at the time. The dams were spilling a small amount of water that enabled the Onkaparinga and Torrens rivers to get a much needed drink and to flush those environments, as well. It was not a shocking waste, as some opposite might say, because the Onkaparinga and Torrens rivers are rivers, as well. If we applied their policy for the Onkaparinga and Torrens rivers to the River Murray we would have even less water in the River Murray at the moment.

Mr WILLIAMS: Sir, I rise on a point of order. My point of order is about relevance. My question was: do we now have the water secured for the next water season and, if not—

The Hon. R.J. McEwen interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: That is what I asked, Rory—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop will take his seat. I appreciate the member for Mount Gambier's assistance, but it is not desired at the moment. There is no point of order. I will listen to the minister carefully, but she is not entering debate and as far as I can tell she is answering the substance of the question.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I appreciate your ruling. I think that one of the things we need to do when answering questions is not to be drawn into responding to interjections, because interjections are unruly and so is responding to them. So, I will not respond to interjections—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Thank you, sir. The issue here is that we have two matters that we were dealing with: one that is a selective quote in relation to a specific comment made by the opposition in relation to dam spilling, and the second one is as a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Water Security.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Thank you, sir. With respect to the matter about the reserves for next year's water supply, the South Australian government is doing a sterling job in ensuring that we have our critical human needs reserve secured by—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Bragg has already been warned once. The Minister for Water Security.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Thank you—

The Hon. M.D. Rann interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: Thank you, sir. With respect to the issue of the critical human needs reserve for next year, South Australia is required to have in reserve 201 gigalitres at the end of this water year for the start of next water year. Currently, we have 39 gigalitres which we have carried over from last year, which was purchased last year. We are also purchasing 60 gigalitres this year. That program is well underway, and we will meet that target very easily. We also have saved 50 gigalitres this year in regard to how much is being pumped into the Mount Loftys out of the River Murray. So, that 50 gigalitres is also going towards the reserve for next year.

In the last water announcement, members opposite may remember we announced that we had also applied 10 gigalitres of the improvements to South Australia towards the critical human needs reserve, meaning that we have a remaining target of 42 gigalitres to achieve. We also announced very clearly in the last water announcement two weeks ago that we were well on track to deliver our critical human needs reserve by the end of the water year. We intend to deliver that critical human needs reserve by the end of December, in fact, rather than the end of the water year.

The targets that we have set ourselves to achieve next month and the month after are 22 gigalitres for critical human needs for the month of November and 20 gigalitres for the month of December, and all our forward planning, based on worst case scenario planning, indicates that we will be able to achieve those reserves. So, we have in hand what we are doing in relation to critical human needs for next year—remembering that we also have a desalination plant coming online at the end of 2010, which has the potential to deliver 25 gigalitres into the system in the first half of the following calendar year. So, our critical human needs reserve is well in hand.

Our community has responded beautifully to the need to conserve water, unlike those opposite, who would leave their taps running all day when they come to work. It is a responsible government that encourages our community to conserve water in times of drought and an irresponsible opposition that tells people to leave their taps on.

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