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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-04-13 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

Public Works Committee: Victor Harbor Wastewater Network Upgrade

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (11:01): I move:

That the 542nd report of the committee, entitled Victor Harbor Wastewater Network Upgrade, be noted.

The current wastewater network is at capacity. It supports a population in excess of 14,000 people, which can double at peak holiday periods. There is some urgency to upgrade and expand the wastewater network in the Victor Harbor area, given the new residential developments soon to occur in the region and the construction of the new Fleurieu Regional Aquatics Centre due for completion by the end of this year. SA Water has already agreed to accept its wastewater.

To address the increasing wastewater demands, SA Water proposes to build a new wastewater pipeline from the aquatics centre along Strawberry Hill Road, the Hindmarsh River and Day Road to the Victor Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant. This is to be a 6.2 kilometre gravity and rising wastewater mains pipeline, and will include three wastewater pumping stations. Although this is not the shortest length, it makes use of road reserves and current easements where possible, minimising the need for additional easements on private land. The cost of the proposed project is $7.289 million, GST exclusive, and it will meet the needs of the area until 2030.

The committee questioned the current capacity of the wastewater treatment plant and was reassured by SA Water that the facility is able to manage the additional flows. However, the committee is concerned with the occasional outflow from the treatment plant into the Inman River. The member for Finniss has received a number of complaints regarding the odour from such events. The committee has suggested to SA Water that this issue could be considered as part of the project. The construction works are due to commence in April 2016 with completion in November this year, in time for the opening of the new aquatics centre at the end of this year.

I would like to thank all my fellow committee members, the members for Colton, Torrens, Finniss and Chaffey, for all their hard work and diligence, the committee staff for their hard work in their support, as well as the witnesses who give all the information. Given this, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:04): I thank the member for Elder for her comments in her capacity as Presiding Member of the Public Works Committee. It is an important project for the burgeoning South Coast, which is continuing to grow at pretty well record rates with population increases and everything else that goes along with it. This was a priority project.

As mentioned, it is hooked in to work in with the new aquatic centre, which is well underway and is a project of the Alexandrina and Victor Harbor councils. It is an excellent project although, once again, it has had its detractors, but I think, once it is up and running, it will be of enormous benefit to the people of the South Coast and give people of all ages an opportunity to swim in a facility. More to the point, the wastewater treatment plant extension cuts through to join that and goes right back to the effluent ponds.

As mentioned, the issue of odour in the Inman River has been a problem for some time, particularly during the summer months. I think sometimes humanity overengineers its own destiny, quite frankly. The simple fact is the amount of nutrient and what not over the years that went into the Inman has caused it to have a few problems during the summer months.

I raised the issue of the smell during the course of the hearing. We do not want any more capacity to increase that if there is an outflow, but a lot of the water is used, particularly in the Victor Harbor region, of course. The Victor Harbor township area has irrigation water, and I think at least one private line comes out of it to cater for some irrigation purposes on private property. It does not seem to be an enormously important project probably in the parliament, but it is an important project for the South Coast and that area. I am sure that, in times to come, there will be more and more of these coming through.

The issue for me—and I am meeting shortly with SA Water on it—is the capacity of Myponga Reservoir to cope in the foreseeable future as the population grows on the South Coast. It appears to be quite comfortably handling it at the moment, but it would be my desire to have the water extended down on the Western Fleurieu to Rapid Bay and Cape Jervis through Wirrina, which would certainly enhance what is going down there, but that in itself will also lead to more wastewater projects on the other side of the Fleurieu as well. We are enormously supportive. I am very pleased that and the roundabout, which we have talked about previously in the house, have got up so, without further ado, I support the project.

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (11:07): I thank the member for Finniss for his contribution to this debate, and I also recognise the importance of this particular facility to his area and his electorate. I thank him for the contribution he made on this project to the committee, and I recommend the report to the house.

Motion carried.

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