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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-10 Daily Xml
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Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:00): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question about the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum in the Riverland.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: The unique Humphrey pump, based at the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum, was shut down by the state government in 2012. The minister also last year announced that SA Water would no longer commit to ongoing operational funding for the museum. Mr Dunk, from the Cobdogla Steam Friends Society, hopes that public support will force a change of direction. Mr Dunk said that the Riverland community had a strong sense of ownership over the museum. He said:

It's not just the people down there, there has been tremendous involvement of the community outside of those immediately connected with the museum. If the government closes it, I see it as a real slap in the face for Riverlanders. It's not just those involved in this museum; it is the wider community.

Mr Dunk also said:

We are not getting any support from the responsible minister, who has even in written communication totally disregarded various questions that we have raised.

My questions are:

1. Did the minister conduct a regional impact statement before deciding to withdraw ongoing operational funding for the museum?

2. What community consultation was conducted by the minister before deciding to cease funding?

3. Why did the minister disregard various questions asked by the society?

4. Can the minister offer any explanation to the volunteers in the chamber today?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (17:02): I thank the honourable member, I think, for her important question, but she led with the introduction of incorrect factual information, Mr President. SA Water is not withdrawing funding from the Cobdogla museum. We are not closing it down. I reject totally the assertion she made about me not responding to questions that have been put to me. It is just wrong—

The Hon. J.S. Lee interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —and you should be careful about what you say about these things.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable member is not to use prompts.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Humphrey pump is a large internal combustion, gas-fuelled liquid piston pump. The Cobdogla irrigation pumping station site was home to two Humphrey pumps, I am advised, that were in operation between 1927 and 1965. One of the pumps was restored in 1986 as an occasionally-operated museum piece—an occasionally-operated museum piece.

The pump's restoration was part of the establishment of the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum. The museum's establishment in 1986 was part of South Australia's 150th birthday celebrations. Until 2012, the pump was operated on four or five occasions each year, during scheduled operational display days at the museum.

On 20 May 2012, during the display and operation of the pump at the Cobdogla steam museum, a gas leak occurred which resulted in two of the operators being affected and hospitalised overnight for observation. As a result of this incident and cognisant of its work, health and safety responsibilities to the public visiting the museum, as well as volunteer operators, SA Water decided that the pump would cease operation.

Given the nature of the Humphrey pump and the way in which it is operated, as well as the nature of the museum and other infrastructure, a preliminary assessment conducted by SA Water estimates that significant expenditure is required to bring the pump and the museum to an acceptable standard. Due to SA Water's economic regulation by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA), SA Water is unable to commit to the capital upgrade—capital upgrade, not ongoing finance—required for the pump and associated infrastructure or to subsidise the ongoing operation of the museum.

However, I understand that SA Water is prepared to consider handing over the assets to another party who is willing to accept responsibility for the maintenance and operation of the pump, such as council, perhaps. I have asked SA Water to prepare a preliminary estimate of the costs associated with decommissioning the pump and ensuring that the museum is safe for use. There is an opportunity for individuals or groups who are interested in taking on this responsibility to present a business case to government which demonstrates their ability to accept ongoing responsibility for the operation of the pump and the museum. The proposal would need to satisfy all health, safety and workplace concerns. It would also need to include detailed and long-term solutions to the following problems:

ensuring that the pump is operated in a safe manner;

removing all work, health and safety hazards from the pump and the museum;

bringing the museum building to an acceptable standard;

ensuring full Environment Protection Authority compliance, particularly in regard to the tar pit that is inside the museum;

removing any asbestos risk; and

ensuring full legal responsibility for the pump and museum.

The individual group who develops a feasible business case in conjunction with SA Water may then be eligible for a once-off payment for an amount equivalent to the cost of decommissioning the site which, I understand, could be in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

So we have not withdrawn ongoing funding; that is not true. We are actually offering the community—and perhaps the council if it wants to take it on—a capital grant of funding which will be equivalent to the decommissioning costs if they want to take it on for the benefit of the local community. That is how we are helping the community.

I totally reject the assertions made by the honourable member. As I said, we will continue to work with the local community about this. There is no withdrawal of funds.

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