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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-11-18 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

STORMWATER HARVESTING

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (15:17): I rise today to inform the house that on 2 November 2009 a significant water forum on stormwater harvesting was hosted at SA Water House. It was a program under Smart Stormwater brought to fruition by the Water Industry Alliance in South Australia.

One of the keynote speakers was Steven Marshall, the General Manager of the Textile Division of Michell Pty Ltd. Steven has a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of South Australia and an MBA from Durham University in the United Kingdom. He has a passionate contribution to make about sustainability and the role that business can play in protecting our environment. I know how proud he is to work for a company with a strong commitment to reducing water use throughout its operations worldwide.

I am very proud to stand here to say that I am working with Steven, as he has been endorsed by the South Australian division of the Liberal Party as a candidate for the seat of Norwood at the 2010 election. I well look forward to him being the member for Norwood and bringing to the parliament expert advice on the questions of water and, in particular, stormwater harvesting, an area involving the engineering and security of water for South Australia, which the Rann government has utterly failed to deliver after seven years of drought.

This concerns me, because project after project has been put together and presented, and all the government has done is introduce a water authority and given Nick Bolkus the job as chair of the authority for water projects. What have we got out of it? Absolutely zip! We have to have harvesting from South Australia's eastern area in the Adelaide Hills to collect the hundreds of thousands of litres that come off the hills face areas and the eastern suburbs every year. It is enough to water the whole of Adelaide.

I am pleased to report to the house that a draft plan for maps of 15 potential stormwater harvesting sites between Campbelltown, Norwood, Payneham & St Peters, Burnside, Walkerville and Tea Tree Gully councils is now under consideration. They are taking action where the Rann government has failed and they are putting together a package for consideration—a $38 million eastern stormwater plan—which will involve the creek diversion and biofiltration, together with creation of wetlands and park areas, including Kensington Park, Penfold Park, Magill and Tusmore Park.

It is a great initiative. It is a great collaboration between councils which cannot wait any longer for state and commonwealth governments to deliver in relation to these matters. I applaud Steven Marshall and others who have put their name forward to support such incredible projects to ensure that we have some water security, so that we do not have to have these water restrictions, dead gardens, exhausted people trying to keep precious garden areas alive, and so that we do not see dead trees along our streetscapes. This will also ensure that we do not carve into this enormously important food production area in South Australia. Of course, the protection of the environment is very important, particularly the River Murray.

It continues to be a great concern to people in the eastern suburbs that we are not doing enough about this. They want to do something about it; they want to participate in programs that will help support the provision of water for urban South Australians, particularly in the greater Adelaide metropolitan area. They are keen. They understand the problem. Steven Marshall understands the problem. He will be the great warrior for water in this house which has failed to be delivered by the Rann government as we move into 2010. I look forward to welcoming him into this parliament to ensure that that happens for the provision of water for all South Australians.

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