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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-09-28 Daily Xml
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Stormwater Management

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:33): I have a question to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Can the minister tell the chamber about the state government's commitment to stormwater management projects?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:33): I thank the honourable member for this most important question, and I thank the Hon. Robert Brokenshire for telling the chamber what a great minister I am—by way of interjection, which is out of order, of course, Mr President.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: I don't believe it.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We've got the member opposite here, the Hon. Michelle Lensink, saying, 'I don't believe it,' but she doesn't even know what she is talking about. When she was on radio this morning she was suggesting that there hadn't been work done in this area of stormwater management in South Australia. What a load of hooey. There could not be anything further from the truth. The state government established the Stormwater Management Authority in 2007.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: This state government established the Stormwater Management Authority in 2007. Contrast that with the Liberals when they were last in government: they slashed the funding for stormwater management in half—that is what they did; they slashed it in half down to $2 million. The state government has agreed to a 30-year funding commitment. What state government ever agrees to such a long-term funding agreement? This state government has, in recognition of the importance of the issue. Due to the importance of the issue we have entered into this long-term funding to give surety and a guarantee to local government whose responsibility it is to deliver on these issues.

This includes $4 million a year indexed. The Stormwater Management Authority may use these funds for such activities as the preparation of stormwater management plans, carrying out works or the acquisition of land for stormwater management, community education and awareness programs, measures relating to water quality or pollution abatement, investigation, research and pilot programs. DEWNR advises that the amount of government funding provided to the Stormwater Management Authority for 2016-17 is about $5.1 million.

I am further advised that, since September 2006, $36.1 million has been approved by the Stormwater Management Authority for 112 projects. The Hon. Michelle Lensink was on the radio saying nothing has been done. We have approved 112 projects. She might like to note that and the next time she goes onto the wireless and talks to the community she has that information before her now. I will give her a little bit more. These projects include funding towards 33 metropolitan and 28 regional floodplain mapping and planning projects and 37 metropolitan and 14 regional infrastructure work projects.

In 2015-16, the projects supported included: the Hargrave Street gravity main in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield; the Whyalla Stormwater Management Plan for the City of Whyalla; the Lower Sturt Catchment Stormwater Management Plan in the City of Mitcham; the Mortlock Terrace Catchment Flood Mitigation Options Study in the City of Port Lincoln; and the government has also made a commitment to the Brown Hill Keswick Creek Management Plan. We know that this catchment is at significant risk of flood. The area and its residents are on high alert right now as we are about to experience another rainfall event, a significant rainfall event if the Bureau of Meteorology's forecast is accurate.

The catchment area covers land within the councils of West Torrens, Adelaide, Unley, Burnside and Mitcham. The area was identified as a significant flood risk as early as the 1930s. I am advised that a one in 100 year flood event could potentially damage up to 5,000 properties, impact on the Adelaide Airport, potentially the Ashford Hospital, road and rail transport across the catchment area and significantly impact businesses.

The plan to reduce flood risk will include investment in the South Parklands and Glenside detention basins, lower and mid-Brownhill Creek upgrades, flow diversions from Keswick to Brownhill Creek, Ridge Park detention basin, diversion culvert at the Goodwood railway junction, Glen Osmond Creek upgrade works, Mount Osmond Interchange dam modification and an upgrade of Upper Brownhill Creek. However, we are yet to hear anything from Steven Marshall and his Liberals about support for this plan.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Point of order, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: It is my understanding that the practice of this house is to refer to people by their title not by their name.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister should keep aware of that.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I was not, in fact, referring to the honourable member, the member for Dunstan, I was referring to 'Steven Marshall, leader of the Liberal team', which is what they use in all the propaganda they are putting out at the moment. We have not heard if they are going to fund it.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Point of order, Mr President. I ask you to rule on my point of order considering the minister seems to be defying you.

The PRESIDENT: When referring to someone in the other house or a member of parliament do refer to them by their title.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: They have a number of titles and this is the title: leader of the Liberal Party. We are yet to hear anything from him, and nothing from this mob opposite. They have been pushed today and Michelle Lensink said, 'We'll have something soon'—The Hon. Michelle Lensink said, 'We'll have something soon.' Nothing yet, Mr President; not a word. What a shame for those residents across Adelaide who are at current risk of flood not to have a bipartisan commitment to this very important program.

While the relevant councils have primary responsibility for managing stormwater and drainage risk within their local council areas, the state government believes that this risk is so significant that it is prepared to provide significant funding for the plan and we have the councils onside at long last. I have written to the commonwealth government seeking its contribution towards this program. Federal Labor, of course, as we know, committed to funding during the recent federal election and the only party that we have not heard from is the Liberal Party. We have not heard from the Liberal Party at a state level; we have not heard from the Liberal Party at a federal level.

Why won't they commit? Why won't they commit to funding for this very important plan for these communities? Why are they not interested in the protection of people's homes, their property and significant economic generators of the airport, the rail terminal and the north-south corridor for transport? It really beggars belief.

We know that the project will provide significant benefits for the residents across West Torrens, Adelaide, Unley, Burnside and the Mitcham council areas. This is a comprehensive 20-year Stormwater Management Plan for thousands of residents across South Australia, and at the same time the Stormwater Management Fund has already been used by the authority to support a number of individual elements of the plan.

So, while the member on radio this morning suggested that we have not been investing in stormwater management projects, I remind the member and the house that some of the 112 projects already undertaken include:

a contribution of up $1.4 million toward the Ridge Park Detention Basin;

a contribution of up to $2.5 million towards the Goodwood Junction-Brownhill Creek diversion project; and,

a contribution of up to $380,000 towards Part B investigations.

South Australians are still waiting to hear whether the Liberal Party and Steven Marshall as leader will be supporting stormwater management and South Australia.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On a point of order: the practice of this house is that the members of the other place are referred to by their title, as the member for Dunstan.

The PRESIDENT: Before the minister gets up, it would be more appropriate, if you are referring to the leader, to refer to the fact that he is the member for Dunstan.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I stand corrected: Steven Marshall, the Liberal Party leader and member for Dunstan, leader of the Liberal team, is nowhere to be seen—vacated the area, missing in action. Steven Marshall, Liberal leader, member for Dunstan, is out on a holiday; he does not want to be part of this program. He does not want to support South Australians with their stormwater issues. The Liberals are vacant. Why have we not heard from them? It is because they are not supporting it, they are not going to provide any future plan at all, they are not going to provide any future funding for this important and comprehensive stormwater management plan to protect South Australians.

The member opposite spoke this morning about a lack of stormwater recharge projects. Again, not a clue about what has been going on in this state. These schemes diversify the state's water supplies and provide other amenity and environmental benefits. I am advised by my department and the Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board that they have invested around $50 million in stormwater harvesting projects.

The honourable member on the wireless today said that nothing has been done. Well, $50 million has been invested, and technical and in-kind support has also been provided along the way. Some of these projects include: the Morphettville Racecourse; the Grange Golf Club; Royal Adelaide Golf Club; Glenelg Golf Club; Waterproofing Northern Adelaide, Salisbury, Playford and Tea Tree Gully—

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: On a point of order: this is the second day in a row that the minister has provided an eight-minute answer to a government question, and this is an abuse of question time because he does it regularly, and he cuts out other members from asking questions.

The PRESIDENT: Can you get to your point, minister?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The only abuse happens from that side of parliament. They are nowhere to be seen on an important policy issue to South Australians—Waterproofing Northern Adelaide, Salisbury, Playford and Tea Tree Gully—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —Waterproofing the South, Onkaparinga, Botanic Gardens, Barker Inlet, Adelaide Airport, Oaklands Park, Ridge Park, Waterproofing the West, Charles Sturt Council, Waterproofing the East, Eastern Regional Alliance and Unity Park.

We are investing in these programs, as I said, and we have been working on these programs for many years to diversify our water resources. In 2009 and 2010, the government of South Australia led a successful bid of funding of eight stormwater harvesting and reuse projects across Adelaide through the Australian government's Water for Future initiative. The government and local councils made significant funding contributions to this project, including:

Waterproofing the West, stage 1, $68.6 million;

Adelaide Airport stormwater scheme, $9.8 million;

the Unity Park biofiltration scheme, $13.9 million;

the Waterproofing Playford, stage 2, scheme, $22.5 million;

the Waterproofing the South, stage 2, $29.9 million;

the Adelaide Botanic Garden, First Creek wetland and aquifer storage and recovery scheme, $10.4 million;

the Barker Inlet stormwater reuse scheme, $8.8 million; and

the Oaklands Park stormwater reuse scheme, $9 million.

The Hon. Michelle Lensink is saying that nothing has been done. Well, is she just vacant about these issues or is she actually misleading people? The government's proactive investment and collaboration with local government and the commonwealth government now means Adelaide has the capacity to harvest over 20 gigalitres of stormwater a year.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: On a point of order: we are now up to 10 minutes for this answer, and I ask you to again ask the minister to draw to a conclusion.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, can you finalise your answer?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I would be finished by now if I didn't have so many interjections and points of order, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: I realise that.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Our proactive investment and work with local and federal governments have seen us have a capacity to harvest—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —over 20 gigalitres of stormwater a year. I am advised this is the highest amount in the country, yet the Hon. Michelle Lensink says today on radio, 'Nothing's been done.' We have the highest amount of water being recharged into aquifers in the country and the Hon. Michelle Lensink, on behalf of the Liberal Party, says, 'Nothing's been done.' Not only is the member opposite wrong, she doesn't even understand that we lead the nation in what we are doing with stormwater management.

Internationally, South Australia's stormwater harvesting and managed aquifer recharge expertise is well recognised, so much so that we are working on a potential economic opportunity to export our knowledge to places like Shandong and the state of Rajasthan in India. The member opposite might like to apprise herself of some of our state's nation-leading stormwater projects when she finally has her briefing with us, which can provide accurate information to the community.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Nothing to do with your government. They resist everything.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: That's right. We're the ones who are introducing it, we're the ones who are building it, but she says, 'It's nothing to do with you. Nothing is happening.' Despite the millions we are investing in this, despite the best record in the country, the Hon. Michelle Lensink says, 'Nothing to do with you.' That is as much as she knows—absolutely zero, over there.

Stormwater recycling is one of a number of actions taken by this government in order to diversify our water supplies to ensure a sustainable future. It is just a shame that the Liberal Party opposite, as shown today by the Hon. Michelle Lensink on the radio station with Mr Leon Byner, does not have the first idea about the projects that have been implemented over the last decade—not the first idea. What a shame it is for our state that the people who purport to be the alternative government are so vacant in this space.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Point of order, again, sir. The minister is just defying your direction. This is now 12 minutes and it is an abuse of question time.

The PRESIDENT: The minister is not defying my direction. I have asked him to get to a conclusion to his answer, but the minister is obviously upset about the fact that a member of this chamber has gone on radio and made comments—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I can see it from here. He is now putting on record the achievements, obviously, of his department. Unfortunately, he must answer the question the way he sees fit. Minister, have you finished?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: They are now complaining that I have been so well prepared to answer this question. All I can say is, yes, I do prepare, as a minister. Clearly, the Hon. Michelle Lensink never prepares before she goes on radio. She hasn't got the first clue.

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