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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-04-05 Daily Xml
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DESALINATION PLANT

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:15): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Can the minister assure the house that SA Water has no obligation to pay for water from Adelaide's desalination plant at any time when traditional, cheaper sources of bulk water, such as the River Murray or the Hills reservoir water, are available? The New South Wales Premier was recently quoted in the media as saying that the former New South Wales Labor government entered into a 'stupid contract', obliging their water authority to buy expensive water from their desalination plant, even when their dams were full and it was still raining.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker: the explanation is not relevant to the question. Yesterday, in fact—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I just point out, Madam Speaker, than on the basis of the explanation, the minister would be free to talk at length about the New South Wales desalination plant.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister for Transport.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley and Minister for Transport, behave. The explanation did not seem necessary; however, the question was in order. Minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:16): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Of course, what occurs in New South Wales is, as was pointed out, completely irrelevant to what is occurring here in South Australia. We—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: You know, I do find—my understanding was, Madam Speaker, that the opposition proposed a 50 gigalitre desalination plant, so presumably in their—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey, leave the chamber for 10 minutes.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. P. CAICA: So presumably, Madam Speaker, the same logic applies to what it is that they are proposing. In fact, the line of questioning is—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The minister is talking about something totally irrelevant to the question that was asked about the cost of—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs REDMOND: —the cost of water.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you. Minister, return to the substance of the question, but ignore the explanation.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well I will, Madam Speaker, but the nature of the question allowed me, I think—and I am not being disrespectful—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pisoni: Move a motion if you don't agree with her.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I do agree with her. I do agree; I just don't agree with you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: So, Madam Speaker, I see their question as not only somewhat interesting in regard to what was their position on a 50 gigalitre desalination plant; but of course, is a poor reflection, and I think an attack, on the former leader who was proposing that desalination plant.

Getting to the substance of the question: we have entered into very, very good arrangements with respect to the maintenance contract and operational contract in relation to the desalination plant, to the extent that there will be—and I have detailed this to the house—ongoing costs that will be incurred whether the desalination plant is operating or not, and they are aware of that, because I have detailed that to the house previously. But, Madam Speaker, if we are not—

Mrs REDMOND: Madam Speaker, point of order: the relevance of the minister's answer. The question was about whether we have to buy from the desalination plant water when there is other water available because the dams are full and there are other cheaper sources.

The SPEAKER: Minister, can you return to the substance of the question?

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, of course, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: It was a political question.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I beg your pardon, sorry?

The SPEAKER: It was a political question—the explanation was, so—

The Hon. P. CAICA: Sorry, Madam Speaker, they are heckling while you are talking.

The SPEAKER: —but minister, can you return to the substance of the question.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I couldn't—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: I couldn't hear what you were saying, Madam Speaker, that's all; that's my point. No, we will not have to pay for water that is not produced.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Would the minister want me to re-ask the question? Because he obviously didn't hear the question I asked.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister can answer the question as he chooses. If you have a further question, you can ask it after.

Mr WILLIAMS: No, he chose not to, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Sit down. The member for Light.

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