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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-26 Daily Xml
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DESALINATION PLANT

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:32): I have a supplementary question. Is the minister stating that this policy decision was taken within SA Water and, if not, will he give a commitment to come back to this place and advise specifically which level of government and agency made that policy decision? Will he also bring back some verifications from the relevant minister as to the carbon neutrality claims?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:32): In an assessment of the desalination plant, certainly, one may wish to consider policy issues in relation to the energy. I would suggest that they are not necessarily relevant to the major concerns in relation to a desalination plant. The major issues in relation to that environmental impact statement, of course, relate to the discharge of brine into the marine environment. I think everyone would agree that that is an issue.

We all know that desalination plants consume large amounts of electricity and, clearly, we need broader policies in relation to reducing our carbon footprint in electricity generation. I am mindful of the fact that, as a state, we have a much lower footprint—I think it is about 4½ per cent (small relative to our population)—compared to other states. Because most of our electricity in the state is generated from gas and the very high level of wind power we have here, we do have a relatively low carbon footprint in relation to electricity generation.

We can argue about those issues in policy terms, but in relation to the environmental impact of the plant, as I said, the major issue in relation to that statement is of course the impact upon the marine environment. I think most people have been addressing those issues. It is interesting how members opposite, who like to claim credit for having thought of the idea of a desalination plant, now, like with everything else they do, appear to be backing away from support for it.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, of course. If you are powering a desalination plant, electricity will be supplied from the grid, but it is a matter of whether that is sourced from renewable energy sources. One of the initiatives of this government is to try to promote the take-up of renewable energy in this state. Yesterday, in answer to a question, I talked about the Panax development in the South-East, which is a very promising geothermal prospect. That development could be in operation within the next two or three years and, being on the main grid, it could produce significant power from geothermal sources.

That is the way we need to go forward. The fact is that we need water, and that water will require electricity. This state also needs a policy to increase the amount of renewable energy in this state. If you put those two things together, that is how we will get the good outcome. The honourable member may nit-pick all she likes in relation to—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, as I said, it will be sourced from—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Who says it's not true? What we know is that the desal plant will use electricity, and this state will generate sufficient renewable energy to cover that electricity requirement.

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