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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-30 Daily Xml
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KAUWI INTERPRETIVE TRAIL

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Will the minister inform the house about the recent opening of the Kauwi Interpretive Trail at the Adelaide desalination plant?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for his very important question and his very impressive pronunciation. Just a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of launching the newly completed interpretive trail at the Adelaide desal plant. The Kauwi Interpretive Trail makes its way around the perimeter of the desal plant, some 2.3 kilometres. The trail was developed in partnership with the Kaurna people, and it shares stories of the countryside and the coastline. There are three lookout points along the trail, providing impressive views of the southern coastline and Gulf St Vincent.

As part of the construction of the desalination plant, thousands of local native plants were used to revegetate the site. This trail provides an excellent opportunity to view this local flora. The walk also provides an opportunity to view the wetlands and creek that have been created and rehabilitated, creating a vital habitat for some of our endangered fauna and of course an opportunity to view the architecture of the desalination plant itself.

Along the pathway are information panels, which not only detail local Kaurna knowledge but also provide visitors with information on the local flora and fauna. In this way the trail complements the Kauwi Interpretive Centre, which provides a venue where community groups, students and industry experts can learn more about desalination water and the cultural history of the local Kaurna people. This facility has proved to be extremely popular, I am advised, with more than 3,200 people expected to visit the plant to utilise the educational and recreational facilities in this year alone, and that number will increase following the opening of the trail.

I would encourage all members, if they haven't already, to visit the interpretive trail, (but take your Aerogard) or indeed the Kauwi Centre, enjoy the flora and fauna and spectacular views and learn more about the local Kaurna history and heritage and South Australia's unique and important water supply systems. The trail presents an excellent educational and recreational opportunity for people of all ages and is the most recent milestone in the project, which has been recognised the world over.

Just last weekend, the Adelaide desalination project was recognised with yet another award, winning the Project Management Institute's Project of the Year Award. The award, announced in New Orleans, recognises the achievements of the project team for superior performance in project management. The purpose of the PMI awards is to honour organisations, companies and institutions who set the standard for creating successful and innovative projects throughout the world. The award recognises the efforts of a dedicated team who delivered a complex and challenging project which has ensured South Australia's water security to 2050. This is an exceptional achievement indeed.

Adelaide's desalination plant is one of the world's most technologically proficient and cost effective desalination plants. The SA Water project delivery team, the project's contractors and the wider workforce successfully delivered the largest water infrastructure project undertaken in this state and they deserve to be congratulated for it. The desalination plant provides a reliable, sustainable and secure water supply for all South Australians, and this will ensure there is enough water for future generations. I cannot stress how important this will be into the future, with impacts of climate change fast encroaching upon us.

This is not the first time in the last few months that the plant has been honoured. In September, the project was also named the International Project Management Association Gold Winner for Project Excellence in Mega Sized Projects. The launch of the trail and the winning of the PMI award coincided with another important milestone for the desalination plant, which has now produced 50 billion litres of high quality desalinated water since October 2011. This is enough water, I am told, to fill 20,000 Olympic size swimming pools.

As I have said many times in this place before, the desalination plant is cheap insurance for our state. It provides a climate-independent source of water for our state, which is essential given that we will inevitably face more frequent and prolonged drought in the future, but this mob across here has no clear idea about the future, they do not want to plan for the future, they are being irresponsible with our state's future.

The 50 billion litres produced by the plant so far is 50 billion litres that we have not taken from our most precious resource, the River Murray. It appears that reducing our reliance on the River Murray is even more important, given that the federal Liberal government seems so intent on undermining the historic Murray-Darling Basin Plan. We already know the federal government will cap water buybacks, which casts serious doubt on the plan's ability to deliver the water committed to be returned to our river.

South Australian Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham has been quoted in the media as saying he doubts the viability of a fund to deliver an extra 450 gigalitres to South Australia by 2024. This is the 450 gigalitres that South Australians fought so hard to achieve. New South Wales Liberal MP Sharman Stone reportedly says that she intends to fight the extra 450 gigalitres the South Australian government achieved through its negotiations.

It is clear that the Liberals simply do not care about the health of the River Murray at the South Australian border, and they are back-pedalling on the deal with South Australia. Once again, the interests of the upstream states are being protected while the Liberals try to force South Australia to accept a clapped out Mazda model of water recovery. All I can say is, thank goodness we locked in our climate-independent water source, thank goodness Premier Jay Weatherill fought the federal government and the Eastern States, because the basin plan that we fought so hard to win to ensure the health of our river and water supplies is already being undermined by the federal Liberal government, aided and abetted by the Liberals sitting opposite.

Thank goodness this Labor government knows what it takes to fight for this state. Thank goodness this Labor government stands up for South Australians because the rabble opposite will never do so. We will continue to stand up for South Australia. Where is Mr Marshall? Where is Mr Marshall talking to the Liberal government in Canberra, saying to them, 'Deliver on the promises that the federal government has given to this state. Don't renege, don't pander to the Eastern States Liberals who control your federal caucus.'

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