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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-30 Daily Xml
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River Murray Flood

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water. Can the minister please update the house on any modelling of the Lower Lakes and River Murray around Goolwa to provide reassurance to my community? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BASHAM: On 26 November, approximately 800 anxious local residents attended a community meeting with the SES, SA Water, Department for Environment and Water and the Alexandrina Council about predicted river flows, impacts and how to prepare. The venue seats about 300 residents, and approximately 500 were turned away. In response to the keen local interest, a second, unplanned meeting was provided later that day. The community is extremely concerned about the fear of potential flooding in the region, as reflected in the large attendance on Saturday and a surge of inquiries to my electorate office. The mood has become very anxious since the meeting, and my community is eager for information.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (14:42): I am happy to answer this question and also to acknowledge the role that the SES has played not only in offering the initial planned meeting but also in providing a supplementary one to make sure that people had access to information.

As we have noticed in the last several weeks, the information that we have about what is happening with the flooding coming down the Murray has had to be updated frequently. The modelling is only as good as the knowledge of the water that is currently in the system. We are aware that, should more water come into the system as most recently has happened through some release in the Hume Dam, that then requires updating. The advice I am giving the chamber today is contingent on information that we have now and that that remains the same.

However, what I can inform the chamber is that at present we expect the Lower Lakes will be managed without a flooding event through barrage releases. With the current flow as we expect it to be, we expect that the level of the Lower Lakes will remain below one metre Australian Height Datum (AHD), which is about 15 centimetres above the normal operation but does not constitute a flooding event.

As members may know, we have five separate barrages that influence the flow of the Murray, and they comprise some 593 openings that are able to control the flow of water. While some weeks ago there was some concern that for a couple of days those barrages were closed, and that was in the context of a very high tide event coming in and not wanting to see the saltwater wash back through into the Lower Lakes, they are now in what is known as flood operating standards, which means that they are open mostly. They will be used to as speedily as possible allow water to be removed from the lakes. Indeed, I am told that the aim for the lakes will be to get them down to 0.65 metres AHD which allows a buffer.

There may be some infrequent salt coming in because, although the tides are now much more favourable for managing this flooding event through the Murray, there may be at some point some saltwater incursions, but that is expected to be short term and infrequent.

So at present it looks like the way in which we are having to anticipate some pretty serious impacts high up in the Riverland and down through the Mid Murray and the Murraylands is not going to be of serious consequence for those living close to the Lower Lakes. Indeed, it has had already some significant environmental benefit for the Coorong and the Murray Mouth. It was a delight to find that the dredging which goes on normally 24 hours a day 365 days a year to keep the Murray Mouth open, has been suspended at this stage for a four-month period to allow a natural scouring through the mouth.

Nonetheless, we are aware that this is all contingent, as I said at the beginning, on understanding the flow of water coming through and the consequences of that should there be additional water coming through that is currently not anticipated that could have an alternative outcome. Therefore, I urge members of parliament and also their constituents to make sure they are keeping up with the WaterConnect website, which allows the flood maps so that they can understand individual impacts, and to go to the sa.gov.au website to make sure that they are keeping up to date with what is occurring and what is expected to occur.

Again, I close by acknowledging the significant role and leadership undertaken by the SES, not only in making sure that people are kept safe but also that the information flow has been continuous.

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