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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-10-28 Daily Xml
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Californian Water Delegation

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Will the minister inform the house about the recent visiting delegation from California and the importance of such collaborative initiatives for the South Australian water industry?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for his incredibly factual and important question. South Australia has become a national, indeed international, leader in managing water for the environment, for irrigation, for urban water security, for integrated natural resources management and of course water planning, as the Hon. David Ridgway noted yesterday in his question to me.

Our Water for Good plan has received considerable recognition and attention internationally as a highly innovative policy for water security, and most recently, on 20 October, South Australia hosted a delegation of around 40 legislators and senior water executives from California. They came to South Australia to learn about our internationally recognised expertise in water management and reform.

Of course, members will understand that California has experienced one of the most severe droughts on record in that state, and the delegation members were particularly interested in learning about how we responded to our recent millennium drought. The delegation was provided a detailed presentation on key aspects of the state's water management framework. In particular, they learned about how mechanisms like the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, the basin plan, water trading and water allocation planning provided opportunity to respond to drought situations, as well as providing ongoing water security.

I might sidetrack here, when I am talking about the Murray-Darling Basin plan and agreement, and offer up my heartiest congratulations to Senator Anne Ruston. I understand that she was delivered her letter of commission last night from the Prime Minister, which gave her portfolio responsibilities as Assistant Minister for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and its implementation. I warmly welcome that appointment and that application of portfolio responsibilities. I think that she will bring to that portfolio and her work great knowledge of the river system, excellent knowledge of the South Australian experience of the Murray-Darling Basin negotiations and discussions. I look forward to working with her very closely, as I did with the previous holders of that area of expertise. Some were, I think, parliamentary secretaries, such as the Hon. Simon Birmingham and the Hon. Bob—

An honourable member: Baldwin.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Baldwin; that’s right—who all had an excellent grasp of the issues around the river. I understand that Senator Ruston—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, they might not have said it to you, the Hon. Mr Ridgway, because they needed to cover their tracks but, of course, we got on famously. When it came to issues of South Australia and the river, we all understood, very importantly, the South Australian perspective and could take that to the federal level. Again, I congratulate the senator on her appointment and her letter of appointment and portfolio responsibilities.

The California delegation learnt about the processes used to construct the Adelaide Desalination Plant within an accelerated time line, providing key decision-makers with lessons that can be directly applied to future infrastructure development in California. Site visits were undertaken to the Willunga Basin re-use scheme, and the Adelaide Airport and the Oaklands Park stormwater harvesting schemes.

The delegation was shown how these projects created innovative ways to use alternative water sources for commercial applications, water the green spaces that we all love, and support the irrigation sector, reducing the use of drinking water supplies for such demands. I understand that the group were very impressed by what the state had achieved, not only in responding to the most recent drought but also over many decades of water policy reform. Once again, this highlights South Australia's world-leading capability in water, which is something we can all be very proud of.

The California delegation also adds to a strong list of international initiatives that are promoting South Australia water expertise around the world. For example, a South Australian contingent participated in the Australia Business Week in India and India Water Week during January of this year, forging very close relationships and contacts. Earlier this year, Adelaide hosted the OzWater15 Conference, showcasing the breadth and strength of South Australia's water industry to almost 1,000 national and international delegates.

The Adelaide-based International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management (ICE WaRM) has developed a highly successful program of international exchanges and visits. It has also established formal partnerships with more than 40 water management and related institutions internationally. In April 2013, the state government entered into a grant agreement with ICE WaRM to enable the research centre to work with AusAID to promote our water management expertise in developing countries.

The future looks very bright indeed for the continued strengthening and expanding of these important relationships and exchanges across this industry. This will grow our industry's expertise locally, help countries in our region and beyond, and foster important national and international collaboration and, potentially, employment opportunities when our private sector industries can export their know-how overseas.

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