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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-06-18 Daily Xml
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Water Pricing

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:24): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Can the minister outline how the Marshall Liberal government's recent water reform announcements benefit South Australia's regions, including in the electorate of Flinders?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:24): It has—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —been great this week to be able to update this house on the many, many reforms that the Marshall Liberal government has instituted to the way that water pricing is undertaken in South Australia, not only water pricing but also huge investment and water infrastructure right across the state.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: We know that water infrastructure is one of the inputs into our economic development which can really drive job creation—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —and no more so than in regional South Australia, one of the most productive parts of our state. Regional South Australia under the Marshall Liberal government's reforms is benefiting from significantly lower water prices when they are connected to the SA water network, but importantly will also benefit from very significant investment in water infrastructure. We are seeing this in every corner of South Australia; the news is just incredible.

If we look a little bit down from Adelaide into the Fleurieu Peninsula, in the first place, that is a peri-urban area with a growing population and is a very important part of South Australia's productive agricultural economy. It is part of our food bowl, really. We see that community, so reliant on water for both residential and business purposes, having very significant benefits.

If you look to the growing town of Myponga, where the median house price is $405,000, the annual water savings there for reasonable use will be $260 to $355 per annum. Households that use a good amount of water in Myponga will be saving $325 to $460 per annum—significant savings that will make all the difference to these households. We know that we are taking that cost-of-living pressure off them, handing them back money so that they can make the decision as to what to do with their household incomes.

It is worth reminding listeners today—and no doubt there are many—that customers can access SA Water's new bill saving calculator on SA Water's website: 18,000 people have done that already because 18,000 people have been very keen to see how much their water bills will be reduced under the Marshall Liberal government. It really is great news for them. If we look a bit further afield into regional South Australia to Kangaroo Island, a part of our state that has been doing it tough in recent times, they are having historic investment in water infrastructure.

I had a chat with the Deputy Premier the other day about this and she believes the investment of some $28 million to improve water security and supply Kangaroo Island's water through a new desalination plant will transform the island's water security and will create job opportunities. We will look for opportunities to draw business to invest on Kangaroo Island, while also creating much more stability in the water network there. We saw that stability come under real threat in early January when the bushfires unfolded over there. This is an opportunity to fix the water supply there once and for all.

I am conscious that the member for Flinders asked me this question today, and it is important to update the house on a piece of infrastructure that will be one of the biggest government spends in the history of Eyre Peninsula. The member for Flinders has been a strong and dedicated advocate for the Port Lincoln desalination plant to secure water security on Lower Eyre Peninsula and give households and businesses certainty that the groundwater resources which they are reliant on, and which have become increasingly fragile, can be significantly supplemented by a $95 million desalination plant.

That is great news for Lower Eyre Peninsula. It will stimulate the economy while it is being built and it will give them water security into the future. We have invested in water infrastructure like no government in the past and coupled that with historic reductions in water prices. It really is good news for South Australia.

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