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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-08 Daily Xml
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URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH (15:05): As part of its planning, has the government identified any shortfall between the projected number of people and the projected supply of water?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:05): I am pleased the honourable member asked that, because an important part of the 30-year strategy is the work that is now being done by the Commissioner for Water Security. That will be a key part of it. This 30-year plan is all about tying up infrastructure, which will include water supply. Of course, the government has undertaken a number of initiatives in relation to securing the water supply.

First of all, there is a desalination plant and its associated pipelines. Also, of course, with all the major new subdivisions, which have been built in recent years and which will be built in the future, we require a much greater level of water sensitive urban design. When the 30-year strategy is released—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, perhaps you should wait and see. It is amazing how these people—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Have you been there?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Yes, of course I have been there. I suggest that the honourable member waits to see the plan and the environmental impact statement that comes out before she sticks her neck out. This government is planning, for the first time in probably 40 or 50 years, for the growth of Adelaide, but we are doing it comprehensively. We are not just identifying the areas where an extra half a million people will be able to live in this city. We are doing it in a way that will minimise the environmental impact; so, it will be on land that has minimal environmental sensitivity. We will again seek to minimise the impact on high value agricultural lands. We are doing this so that we have maximum use of our existing infrastructure, particularly transport. The plan will also—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I think honourable members should withhold their comments until they see it. Obviously, part of it is a move towards, over the course of this 30-year plan, a situation where, at the end of that, 70 per cent of all new development is in high density areas, particularly along the existing corridors of Adelaide, within the existing boundary, so that less pressure is put on those fringe areas. Of course, that will also help in minimising water consumption.

Again, we have to move to a much more water efficient city. To get back to the original question, the amount of water that is consumed by domestic residents is relatively small. The total consumption of Adelaide, including industrial consumption, is about 200 gigalitres a year. Other consumption—for example, irrigation—would, in a normal year, use more than triple that sort of volume of water. Clearly, we must have a much more sensitive design, which will mean more efficient water use within the home and, in particular, the garden.

We will need the open space that, again, will use water efficiently. We will need to better collect it around the home and, of course, we will need some external provisions such as the desalination plant. We need all of that. Water sensitive urban design will be a key part of the project. I expect that, at the time we announce this, we will also be producing the report from the Commissioner for Water Security, which will tie up these things. It is an important question that the honourable member asks, and it is clearly one that will be addressed as part of the government's overall strategy.

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