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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-03-09 Daily Xml
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Eyre Peninsula Desalination Project

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries regarding ignoring local community and industry advice.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: In a media release issued by the Minister for Environment and Water this morning she stated that, and I quote:

The South Australian Government has accepted the advice of the SA Water Board that Billy Lights Point is the preferred location for a desalination plant at Port Lincoln should the project proceed.

My question to the minister is: what does she say to the fishing and aquaculture industry? What does she say to Eyre Peninsula Seafoods and Yumbah Aquaculture after she, as the minister responsible for the fishing and aquaculture industry, and her government have ignored the pleas for the Sleaford West site and their significant concerns that a desal plant at Billy Lights Point will have huge impacts on the marine environment?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is quite accurate that the South Australian government has accepted the advice of the SA Water board that Billy Lights Point is the preferred location for the Eyre Peninsula desalination plant, with preparatory works proceeding. The final decision will be informed by Infrastructure SA's separate business case into the Northern Water Supply Project, which is looking at new and sustainable water supply for the Far North and Upper Spencer Gulf.

SA Water continues, I am advised, to work with the Northern Water Supply Project team in assessing if this may be a viable solution. This comes after the former Liberal government, and in particular the now opposition leader, David Speirs, who was then minister for environment and water—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, please continue.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: This comes after the former Liberal government, and in particular the now opposition leader, David Speirs, who was then minister for environment and water, wasted years on this important project, which really does beg the question: was holding the seat of Flinders against an Independent more important to them than their concern for residents of Port Lincoln and Eyre Peninsula having long-term access to drinking water? Let's have a look at what the former minister said—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Members on both sides, I can't hear the minister. Order, the two leaders! The Hon. Mr Wortley! Minister, please continue.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Let's have a look at what Mr Speirs said in June 2020 at Sleaford, which remains on his own website to this day, interestingly. It is a bit of a difficult watch. Clearly, the poor quality of the video matched the poor quality of their approach to this project. Some big claims were made by the now Leader of the Opposition. He said, 'This is the site.' He said, 'Locals have been advocating for the best part of 20 years and the Marshall Liberal government is getting on with it.' Then he said, 'I look forward to getting back here'—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —'and turning the first sod in a couple of months and seeing this project get underway.'

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Mr Wortley! Minister, please continue. I do want to hear the minister's answer.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Thank you, Mr President. I think South Australians should be concerned that the now Leader of the Opposition in this state, the person who wants to be Premier, could be so far off the mark—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —in what he should have been able to deliver as minister.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It is too important an issue—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —to add to the wasted Speirs years. The wasted Speirs years is what we have here. The wasted Speirs years are shameful, given the region is predicted to come perilously close—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, sit down.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I am not going to reward him by throwing him out.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I cannot hear the minister. Minister, please continue, conclude your remarks and we will move on with the day, but I need to be able to hear the minister.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley, she hasn't even started again yet. Stop it!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The wasted Speirs years are shameful, given the region is predicted to come—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: Point of order: could you table the press release that you—

The PRESIDENT: There is a point of order. What is the point of order?

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: Absolutely. She is reading from a press release and I would like her to table it and stop continuing on with all this argumentative debate and actually answer the question.

The PRESIDENT: What is your point of order?

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: She is reading from a press release. I would like her to table what she is reading from.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Mr President, if it would assist, this is not a press release.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please conclude your remarks so we can move on.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The wasted Speirs years are shameful, because the region is predicted to come perilously close to running out of water in 2025.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, I am sorry, there is a point of order behind you. I didn't see the Hon. Ms Bonaros.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Point of order: it is unparliamentary of the minister to be referring to the Leader of the Opposition as the wasted Speirs years. With respect, and I am impartial. How's that?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am not sure that you are actually calling the member wasted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: We are not allowed to refer to members by their—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: That's reasonable. Minister, listen to me. You will refer to him as the Hon. David Speirs or the member for his electorate, please. Okay, please conclude your remarks so we can move on.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The point that I have been trying to make, but those opposite don't want to hear, is that Port Lincoln is likely to run out of water suitable for drinking in 2025. That is only two years away. After flagging it in 2018, the former minister for environment and water delayed the project not long before the last election, which again begs the question of what the priorities of those opposite were. In terms of the science, I understand and appreciate—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Girolamo!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Government, you are not helping. Lead by example.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I understand and appreciate the concerns of stakeholders, in particular the aquaculture sector, but SARDI research has found that the desalination plant can be built at Billy Lights Point without negatively impacting the local marine environment. Oceanographic modelling by SARDI shows that when the plant is operational long-term salinity levels will remain within natural background levels.

The SARDI research is now available on the SA Water website and I would encourage all interested stakeholders to have a look. As I have said on previous occasions on matters that have relied on SARDI research, I have confidence in the world-class scientists at SARDI, and I hope those opposite are not suggesting that they don't share that confidence in our world-class researchers and scientists who are located at SARDI.

Further, the Billy Lights Point site is a former industrial area situated away from residential properties and set back from the coastline, meaning there will be less impact on residents. Additionally, the site selection committee's proposed Sleaford West site would cost up to $150 million more, I am advised, than the Billy Lights Point proposal, and that cost would be borne by South Australian residents who are SA Water customers. So that $150 million, I am advised, is in addition to the $313 million cost of the Billy Lights Point desal plant. A range of geological, technical and transport challenges, I am advised, were present at the Sleaford West site, which contributed to that potential extra cost.

As I said previously, I am aware of correspondence from stakeholders in the region and I do respect their concerns. The state government and SA Water are committed to working with the aquaculture industry to ensure the design of Billy Lights Point addresses the things about which they are concerned. The Malinauskas government understands the significant water security issues facing the region and will continue to work on a long-term solution. After all, the residents of Port Lincoln and Eyre Peninsula deserve to know that they will not run out of drinking water in a few short years' time.

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