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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-10-16 Daily Xml
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Reservoirs

Ms LUETHEN (King) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. How is the government delivering on its commitment to open up reservoirs in South Australia?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (15:00): It's great to receive this question from the member for King.

Mr Malinauskas: The capitulator.

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I know that she is a passionate advocate for this great Marshall Liberal government policy, and what a good policy it is, getting people into the great outdoors—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —enjoying the natural environment, stimulating regional economies and at the same time looking at conservation outcomes as well.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford can leave for the remainder of question time.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: What a great policy it is. We know that when we came to government we said that we would open up a number of reservoirs across South Australia, looking to maximise these opportunities to get into the natural environment to keep fit, keep healthy and to enjoy the great outdoors. I know the member for King, like many of my colleagues, shares those passions with me.

When we came to office, the previous government had made a very weak attempt at opening a couple of reservoirs. The reservoirs of Bundaleer, Warren and Beetaloo had been slightly opened. In fact, I went along to Beetaloo Reservoir with the member for Stuart a couple of weeks ago, which was one of those reservoirs the previous government had opened. If you wanted to get to that reservoir to enjoy it, to go fishing there and the like, you had to park about 450 metres away and carry your fishing tackle up quite a steep walk—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —with your kids and with your esky. The previous government's policy around reservoirs was what you have when you feel that you need a policy but you don't really want to have a policy. It was a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —very poor man's version of this policy. However, the Marshall Liberal government is going much, much further. We have appointed a task force to manage this project, led out of the Department for Environment and Water, with representation from SA Water and SA Health. We recently had a ForestrySA representative join that committee as well, recognising that often forestry land is close to these reservoirs and that there is an opportunity to join up packages of land for wider recreational opportunity.

It's great that we are now moving towards the further opening of reservoirs. That will include expanded offerings at Warren Reservoir and also Bundaleer Reservoir. Bundaleer is in the Mid North. Warren is just a little outside the member for King's electorate, on the edge of the Barossa.

We are also making the announcement that South Para Reservoir will open. It will really become an adventure-focused reservoir around fishing and around kayaking. There may be opportunity down the track for bushwalking and cycling. South Para Reservoir is a large reservoir with multiple coves and twists and turns. There is lots of opportunity in that landscape to create a real adventure hub up there, and we are looking forward to opening South Para Reservoir in December this year, just a few months away. I know that the member for King, the member for Newland and myself were part of a release of 180,000 fingerlings into that reservoir to ensure that there are sufficient stocks of fish there ready for fishers to enjoy when the gates to that reservoir are opened in the coming months.

Also later this year, we will be seeing shoreline fishing brought in at Myponga Reservoir. We know that since April 2019 we have been able to have access to the reservoir reserve around Myponga. That has been hugely successful. More than 10,000 people have visited that site already. It's stimulating that township on the western Fleurieu Peninsula, bringing it to life and really having an economic uplift there.

This policy is a great policy. There's lots more to come. The opposition are fundamentally opposed to it. In fact, they will close these reservoirs should they form government, and that would be sad for these communities, but we will continue with this policy and I look forward to updating the house on it.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Brave, brave Sir Robin.

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens, be quiet. The member for Kaurna has the call.

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