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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) (14:51): My question is for the Premier. Will the Premier provide today bipartisan support for the state Liberal's $400 million stormwater harvesting plan announced in May of last year? In May 2008, the policy statement set out a plan to harvest 89 gigalitres of stormwater at 13 sites in the west of the metropolitan area, from the Gawler River to the Willunga basin—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Attorney will come to order!

Mr WILLIAMS: This water is presently flowing as waste to the Gulf St Vincent, where it is causing environmental damage. In the ensuing time, the response from the Premier and his government has been absolute silence.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:52): I am so pleased to get this one. Do you remember the day a year or so ago when, during the negotiations over the River Murray there was recalcitrance by the Victorians, we heard the Leader of the Opposition say what he would do if he were ever to be, God forbid, premier of the state? He would fly over and put them in a headlock. Then he announced to some gullible media that he was going to demonstrate that by convincing the Liberal leaders of the opposition at a meeting in Sydney, and he flew off over to Sydney and he was told to nick off, basically. It was one of the most embarrassing interviews that I think—

Mr WILLIAMS: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question is about stormwater harvesting in Adelaide not about the government's failure to get a decent deal with the other states.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: They want bipartisanship and I am willing to give bipartisanship because yesterday Lawrence Springborg, the Leader of the Opposition in Queensland, said that he is considering tearing up the River Murray agreement. The Leader of the Opposition in Queensland—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Leader of the Opposition in Queensland is threatening to tear up the River Murray agreement that creates an independent commission—the silence of the lambs. I thought we would see him out there, with his beret on, flying over to Queensland to put him in a headlock, but, no—because we will always see him put party before state and that is the difference. The Minister for the River Murray is the highest ranking National Party minister in this nation. She is now at the front of the front bench—that is the difference. We have not heard a whisper. Oh dear, no headlock for Lawrie. No, just total absolute silence.

Anyway, let me go on to say this. In terms of recycling I have an announcement to make, which you can applaud with bipartisanship. We lead the nation in recycling. We recycle water more than any other state—currently, about 29 per cent. We are going to lift it up to 46 per cent. That is the announcement. Where is your applause?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: We are also leading the nation in terms of stormwater. Suddenly you have discovered what is being done out in Salisbury, what has been announced at Cheltenham and what is being announced in different parts of the state—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: By a Labor member of parliament, Tony Zappia.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Tony Zappia's great, great work. You are total frauds, absolute phoneys, and you know it.

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