House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-03-09 Daily Xml

Contents

Eyre Peninsula Desalination Plant

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:15): My question is to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water. When did the minister accept SA Water's recommendation to locate a desalination plant at Billy Lights Point on Eyre Peninsula?

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) (14:16): The decision was announced publicly today, after going through the appropriate processes within government to ensure that there was whole-of-government support for the selection of that location. Just to be clear, the decision is that, of the various sites that have been looked at, Billy Lights Point is the preferred site to build this desalination plant, for numerous reasons, including sensible use of public money and also having appropriately addressed the scientific questions of the potential impact of that location in the salty water that will be produced by the desalination plant.

The stage of the process that we are now at is that work will advance on that site in order to develop the final business case for final approval, as well as for going through development processes. So this is well down the track now but not at the final point of approval.

The SPEAKER: A supplementary from the member for Flinders.