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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-09-27 Daily Xml
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Port Augusta Fly Ash

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:00): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health a question about South Australia's health response to fly ash in Port Augusta.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Since the decommissioning of the Port Augusta power station, the presence of fly ash has caused serious concerns in the community. Flinders Power identified further fly ash issues last week and Port Augusta Mayor, Sam Johnson, has expressed concerns at the threat posed after the EPA recorded extremely high levels of PM10 last Saturday.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Mayor Johnson has called on the Minister for Health to guarantee the health and safety of Port Augusta residents.

1. How does the minister intend to assist the residents of Port Augusta who may have been affected by fly ash in what has become an ongoing problem?

2. Will the minister commit to a longitudinal health study of the population exposed to fly ash?

3. Will the state government invest the $3.2 million recommended by the Tonkin Consulting report to cover the odorous edges in soil and revegetate Bird Lake?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable leader of the government will answer the question.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:02): I thank the honourable member for his question. I might just explain, as the minister who had a responsibility for issues arising from the closure of the Leigh Creek coal mine and the Port Augusta power station, this is an issue I have had significant involvement with. Given much of the question was about the broader policy response to—I might correct the member: it's not fly ash, which came from the chimney stacks, it's bottom ash, which came from the bottom of the coal burning sites.

I know it might seem like a pedantic point, but it is actually important because there are different materials in those. I am happy to be able to answer the honourable member's question because it was much broader than just health effects.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister, take a seat. I don't know how on earth anyone can understand what is being said in this chamber with so many people talking over each other. There is one person on his feet and that is the minister. Please continue.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In relation to the bottom ash that comprises the ash dam near the old Port Augusta power station, there were incidents during last summer when very strong winds did cause some of that bottom ash to be airborne and it did cause a deal of concern amongst the community. In response to that, the government set up a free clinic within the Port Augusta Hospital, a clinic that was open on weekends as well as weekdays, where any member of the Port Augusta community could come without appointment for free medical advice in relation to that. The government listened to community concern and made sure we responded appropriately.

I am advised that in the last week, a portion—I think it's on the northern end of the ash dam that contains the bottom ash from the Port Augusta power station—due to rains, some of the sealant had been compromised, but that the company immediately put in remedial action to fix that. It is the responsibility of the company to make sure that the ash dam is sealed and, after aerially applying sealant, they own the process that I understand is nearing completion of covering that ash dam with soil and planting seedlings on the area of the ash dam. I understand, again, I think it is in the northern area of the ash dam, that due to moisture content, they aren't going as fast as they had originally planned to, but that that work continues.

In response to further questions about Bird Lake that the honourable member asked, I can inform the honourable member that there has been quite a lot of discussion between the state government and the Port Augusta City Council as to what is the appropriate long-term solution to Bird Lake. The lake is on council land, it is council responsibility, but we have made it quite clear that we recognise that all of us have a role to play, and that the state government is prepared to look at what ways we can help remediate and mitigate both problems of odours and problems of insects that arise, particularly during hotter weather, at Bird Lake.

We are committed to providing some help. We also expect that the federal government will recognise that they have a responsibility as well and will provide some help. There was a consultant's report that the council engaged consultants to provide and, again, recognising that we will help where we can, the state government provided funding to the council to engage the consultants who have recommended a range of actions. I know there has been further discussion about ways that in-kind support can be provided, and whether that is with soil at Bird Lake from either Flinders Power or from council reserves to make sure that we are doing it as efficiently and effectively as possible in terms of the remediation of Bird Lake.

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