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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-31 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: SWAN REACH TO PASKEVILLE PIPELINE HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCHBOARD REPLACEMENTS

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (11:04): I move:

That the 457th report of the committee, entitled Swan Reach to Paskeville Pipeline High Voltage Switchboard Replacements, be noted.

The committee has received a proposal to renew the existing ageing high voltage (HV) switchboards and electrical installations at each of the Swan Reach to Paskeville pipeline pumping stations. The project has a capital cost of $7.82 million. The project comprises the following elements:

to replace the existing HV switchboards with new switchboards in newly created switch rooms;

to replace the existing low voltage switchboards with new switchboards and replace associated ancillary electrical equipment; and

to upgrade the electrical earthing system throughout.

The project will result in a dramatic reduction in the risk of catastrophic failure of the electrical installation at a pumping station and address recent safety concerns with the installation.

This pipeline supplies approximately 26,000 connections in the Sedan, Barossa and Yorke Peninsula regions. A significant portion of these connections are for primary production, industrial and commercial customers. Demand on the system has increased dramatically following the introduction of off-peak irrigation supplies and third-party access. It has limited storage and limited connectivity with other pipeline systems. A catastrophic switchboard failure at a pumping station would result in supply shortages and extended restrictions for the majority of connected customers.

This project is expected to be completed by September 2013, so given this, and pursuant to the act, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (11:06): I would like to make a small contribution on this public works project, and it will give me the opportunity to talk about South Australia's reliance on the river. There really is an expectation of most South Australians that they turn on a tap and water will come out. Again, it highlights the importance of the River Murray and the water security the River Murray gives to almost every South Australian.

In 2009, several hundred metres from the pumping station, I attended a rally at Grieger's Sandbar, just upstream from Swan Reach. We had many hundreds of people standing on the main river channel and no-one had their feet wet. It was really an unbelievable sight.

Mr Pederick: Helicopters landed on it.

Mr WHETSTONE: Yes, that's right. The member for Hammond reminded me that on that day helicopters landed on the main channel of the river, which was dry. It made international news at the time, and the level of the water was 0.8 of a metre below sea level. Today, anyone standing on that sandbar where we were at that rally at that time would be now underwater and would drown. It shows how quickly things can change on the landscape of the river.

Also, back in 2008, there was a $10 million project to upgrade the pumping station for the Mannum to Adelaide, Murray Bridge to Onkaparinga, Tailem Bend to Keith, and Swan Reach to Paskeville pipelines. The Swan Reach pipeline was one of the last to be completed in early 2009, and this was to secure the delivery of water across South Australia. Again, I highlight that everyone who relies on River Murray water has an expectation that there is water in the river and that every time they need that water, whether it be for domestic use, food production or industrial use, there will be a reliable source to be drawn from the River Murray.

I support the public works switchboard upgrade, but I wanted to highlight that it is about the reliance on the River Murray that every South Australian is becoming more and more accustomed to. We have an expectation that there will be water in the river and it is a testament to achieving a Murray-Darling Basin plan. It is not about achieving just a number: it is about achieving a balanced outcome for the river and achieving a social outcome and an economic outcome. As important as all of those, it is about having a sustainable, healthy environment surrounding the water supply.

I will not touch on exactly what the basin plan will mean to everyone in this place, but with tomorrow's presentation and the Premier's motion, I am very happy to be a part of that debate. Without further ado, I will support this public works program.

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (11:10): I will be very brief also, but only on the basis that I respect how important it is to continually invest in infrastructure. That is why I am pleased that funds are being expended on the electrical upgrade of the pumping stations. In early 2000, there was a very serious problem with water storage facilities managed by SA Water on Yorke Peninsula, which actually took all of the Paskeville storage dam offline.

Other than Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta, every community south of that connection point was unable to use SA Water mains because the water was contaminated. It took an enormous effort to overcome that, including the delivery of bottled water to people so that those who did not have rainwater tanks had something to drink. It came at a peak tourism time also, so it caused enormous disruption. That emphasised to me more anything that if we do not continue to invest in our infrastructure that SA Water provides the water distribution points via, we are going to be in serious trouble.

I was pleased when the member for Finniss contacted me about this report that was coming to the Public Works Committee. He asked me to review the notes in case there was anything that I wanted to highlight that he would question on my behalf. I looked at it and noted that the infrastructure is not physically within my electorate, but it benefits my electorate, so I am pleased to support the report.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:11): I will speak very briefly and generally on this, and I acknowledge the 457th report of the Public Works Committee. I served on that committee for four years and I have to say it was probably the most productive four years that I spent in the place. The committees of this place are very valuable, and I believe this committee is probably the hardest working committee and really ought to be elevated to the position of senior committee. I cannot understand why it is not. That is an oversight.

I certainly acknowledge the 457th report of this committee and I support infrastructure upgrades such as this, especially when it is classed as essential, as this certainly is. We have a huge amount of ageing infrastructure in regional South Australia and we must periodically replace and upgrade it so that these essential services are sustainable into the future. It is easy to ignore them.

Madam Speaker, coming from Whyalla, you would be very much aware how reliant your city is on infrastructure, particularly the Morgan to Whyalla pipeline. To see it rusting like I have seen it in recent days, particularly in the area around Spalding and Bundaleer—badly rusting—is concerning to me. I cannot understand why that is allowed to happen, so I hope that the Public Works Committee will be looking at a project such as that, to have the pipeline renovated: the rendering repaired and to put a protective coat of paint on it. I am also told, which worries me greatly, that it is actually corroding from the inside as well. That is extremely concerning to me.

In relation to the ageing infrastructure in our state, I also highlight the ETSA poles and wires that the Playford government in the late fifties and sixties linked all the farms in our state with electricity through the single-wire system, which we commonly call the SWER system. It is now ageing to the point where many of the poles are deteriorating. I am very concerned about what it would cost to upgrade that. It would be a huge cost, 700,000 poles across South Australia. I believe the government should be putting some money aside ready for the day when that is replaced. If you had to replace it on a user-pays system, I am sorry, but you could not justify it. You cannot go telling all those farmers out there, 'I am sorry, when the poles wear out, we really can't afford to replace them and you will have to make alternative arrangements.' I hope we never ever have to see that.

Finally, I welcome this report. I think it is very good that we have actually upgraded this system, because Swan Reach was in my electorate. Of course, that is where also—

Mr Whetstone: It's in Chaffey now.

Mr VENNING: It is in Chaffey now. I hope the member for Chaffey looks after it as well as I did, because you know I got a filtration plant—

Mr Whetstone: Of course I will.

Mr VENNING: I got a filtration plant there at Swan Reach, and of course the Barossa now has filtered water. Those who have been here a long, long, long time will recall when I sent a bottle of genuine Barossa water to every MP, and some of you still have them; it was a fantastic campaign. All I know is that premier Olsen was not impressed—not impressed at all. I paid a bit of a price for that, but, anyway, the filtration plant is there at Swan Reach, and it was a great day at the opening. We now have clean water to the Barossa. I certainly support both the committee and this report.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (11:15): I just rise to indicate that the opposition members of the committee support the recommendation. We do have concerns about the debt level of SA Water. We do continuously ask SA Water whether projects such as this are being funded by debt or by revenue. They consistently obfuscate in their responses and refuse to answer.

But, I will just flag to the parliament that an ongoing concern for this parliament should be the extent to which SA Water, on behalf of the taxpayer, is running up its debt levels, for which ultimately the Treasurer and the people of South Australia will be responsible, whilst bringing these project forward. Other than that, we support the matter.

Motion carried.

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