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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-16 Daily Xml
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TOD RESERVOIR

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:30): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Flinders.

Mr TRELOAR: My question is also to the Minister for Water Security. Why did SA Water not take the opportunity to direct substantial high quality and precious water flows into the Tod Reservoir during the recent heavy rainfalls? The Tod Reservoir has the capacity to provide between 2 and 3 gigalitres of water per year to Eyre Peninsula. Having been taken offline in 2002, SA Water has seemingly been unwilling to rehabilitate the Tod Reservoir, despite having had the opportunity to do so.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for his question. I have learnt a very valuable lesson—that we will not speak about these issues the previous day, although in the future I will expect to get a question when I do speak to honourable members about issues that I wish to raise with them.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I talk to everyone, don't I? You know that I talk to everyone. We had a discussion yesterday—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Oh, shut up, will you?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order.

Mr WILLIAMS: I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker. I suggest that the minister has just used unparliamentary language, and I think you should direct him to refrain.

The SPEAKER: Sit down. I am not sure about the unparliamentary language, but I was going to point out to the minister that it is not appropriate to tell people on the other side to shut up. However, I am sure he will behave now. We have another point of order.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order. I do believe the minister was responding to interjections, which are unparliamentary.

The SPEAKER: He certainly was, and he was frustrated, but you still don't tell people to shut up. Minister, can you get on, but please don't tell anyone to shut up.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Given the chance I will, ma'am. I am very sorry that I offended the member for Norwood, and I am sorry that the date has not arrived yet. It might be because he is on the cusp and things are not working out for him; I don't know. I apologise if I have ruffled his feathers. There are most certainly issues that I intend to investigate with respect to the Todd Reservoir, and the information I have received from SA Water to date—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: In addition to that I had a meeting yesterday morning at the Police Club with the provincial city mayors, and I know that the member for Flinders is aware of that because I advised him of that meeting. Of course the mayor of Port Lincoln was in attendance there, and we spoke for quite a period of time about the Tod River.

There are issues that I wish to further investigate with SA Water. As I understand it, the tap was turned off on or about 31 August with respect to water coming into that, and significant amounts of water are flowing out into the ocean as we speak. I certainly want to investigate further and talk further with SA Water; however, I also want to continue to talk not only with the local community over there but also with the local member about the future viability of the Tod Reservoir in the context of what needs to be the long-term plan for security of water supplies on Eyre Peninsula. I am committed to doing exactly—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I won't respond to the rudeness that is being shown by the member for Finniss. That is exactly what I intend to do to secure those water supplies. I do not know the answer, but perhaps the Tod Reservoir and work that might be able to be done with respect to the Tod Reservoir might be a very important component of securing those water supplies.

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