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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-16 Daily Xml
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WATER FOR GOOD

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray, and my question about water is a relevant and sensible one. Will the minister provide an update on the government's water security plan released in 2009, Water for Good?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:54): The honourable member has brought out another excellent question, as is his wont. I thank him for his ongoing interest in these matters. Of course, as one of the very few members hailing from close to the Murray, he will have this ongoing issue.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I am advised that he is crossing the river several times a week these days, so—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, that might be his intention when he goes home to visit mum and dad, which I am sure he is much too busy to do as much as he should. In 2009—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: It would be a good idea to get on with the answer.

The PRESIDENT: If the interjections stop, the Hon. Mr Dawkins.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you, sir. In 2009 the Labor government released the Water for Good plan, a plan to secure our state's water supply to 2050 and beyond. It was an ambitious plan, a plan that contained 94 recommendations to be driven by state government and supported by local government, the commonwealth, private industry and the community. It was a plan to ensure there would always be enough water for industry and the population. It was a plan to reduce our reliance on one of our most precious resources, the River Murray.

I think everyone here today would agree that for far too long generations of successive South Australians and generations of successive governments in this state have taken water security for granted. As I have said in this place before, and as Premier Jay Weatherill has said repeatedly, the consequences that the drought of the mid-2000s foreshadowed for our state could not be ignored.

Since the release of the Water for Good plan, the government has made significant progress in meeting the 94 recommendations. Thirty have been completed and another 50 are well on track, I am advised. Thirteen are experiencing minor delays and one, the construction of a temporary weir at Pomanda Island within Lake Alexandrina, is no longer required, thanks to the efforts of this government in securing a better deal for the River Murray and increased environmental flows down the system.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: It grates with those opposite to see a government so much in command of these issues and delivering for our state and the people of the River Murray communities. I can advise the plan is well on track. Some of the highlights this financial year include: the adoption of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan by the federal minister; the commissioning of the Adelaide desalination plant; the continued construction of stormwater harvesting and re-use projects in Adelaide; the passing of the Water Industry Bill 2012 by this parliament; and the adoption of the Safe Drinking Water Regulations 2012, which came into operation, I am advised, on 1 March 2013.

I have spoken about the basin plan and the desalination plant at length in this place and I can go on if people wish me to, but I thought I might move to new territory. I will say this: the Jay Weatherill government has taken the fight to the Eastern States and Canberra to return the river to health. This government, led by Premier Jay Weatherill, would never have built a one-way desalination plant. We are proud of our achievements in this regard in delivering for the future water security of our state, something the Liberals opposite never, ever contemplated. They never, ever contemplated it. As I mentioned earlier, there has been significant work around our capital city in regard to stormwater harvesting and re-use.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I repeat myself. As I mentioned earlier, there has been significant work—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Absolutely. It's Thursday.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Mr Brokenshire says it is Thursday. On Thursdays he is usually off down the farm, milking his cows. He hardly ever stays around on a Thursday. As I mentioned—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: He sells his milk and it's pasteurised.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, I hope it is. As I mentioned earlier, there has been significant work around our capital city in regard to stormwater harvesting and re-use. At their completion, these combined projects will ensure South Australia remains a national leader in the area of stormwater harvesting and will provide the potential to harvest up to 23 gigalitres of water a year.

I should also mention the Water Industry Bill passed by the parliament in April 2012. This will now see economic regulation of the water industry undertaken by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia. In addition, the Energy Industry Ombudsman will now extend his responsibilities (or hers in a future time) to the water industry. Both these initiatives will provide customers with independent economic regulation and more power when it comes to settling disputes.

The year ahead will see further progress of a number of important actions, including the further construction of stormwater harvesting and re-use projects across Adelaide, implementing the first stages of the basin plan and development of the urban water blueprint, which help manage our urban water reservoirs in an integrated manner.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway will come to order!

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway will lead properly.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Achieving all these key actions identified in Water for Good—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Throw him out.

The PRESIDENT: You can leave any time you like, sir.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —will ensure that our state has a secure and reliable supply of water to support the growth of our population and our economy into the future—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: You can leave if you want—I'm not keeping you here.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —while preserving our quality of life and our precious environment.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Order!

The PRESIDENT: You'll come to order, too!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I commend the efforts of the officers in my department for their hard work for the people of South Australia, and I am sure they will continue that work into the future.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lensink at least listened to the answer and has a supplementary.

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