❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses water deficiency declarations in several shires, the cost of water carting, water sources, and infrastructure initiatives to safeguard future water supplies in vulnerable areas. The government outlines current support and future funding applications.
AnsweredQoN 8Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WATER DEFICIENCY
DECLARATIONS
8. Hon RICK MAZZA to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the 6 February 2020 Farm
Weekly article headed ''Water carting bill $4m–$11m''.
(1) Which shires are currently
declared water deficient areas?
(2) Which other shires will be
declared water deficient in the near future?
(3) What is the current cost per day
of the Water Corporation carting water to water deficient areas?
(4) Where is the
Water Corporation sourcing its water for water cartage in water deficient
declared areas, and what is the estimated capacity of each source to continue
supply?
(5) What
infrastructure initiatives are being considered for areas vulnerable to water
deficiencies that will safeguard supplies into the future?
DECLARATIONS
8. Hon RICK MAZZA to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the 6 February 2020 Farm
Weekly article headed ''Water carting bill $4m–$11m''.
(1) Which shires are currently
declared water deficient areas?
(2) Which other shires will be
declared water deficient in the near future?
(3) What is the current cost per day
of the Water Corporation carting water to water deficient areas?
(4) Where is the
Water Corporation sourcing its water for water cartage in water deficient
declared areas, and what is the estimated capacity of each source to continue
supply?
(5) What
infrastructure initiatives are being considered for areas vulnerable to water
deficiencies that will safeguard supplies into the future?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for Water.
(1) Six areas
have been declared water deficient to date: the Mt Short area of the Shire of
Ravensthorpe, on 8 May 2019; the Mallee Hill area of the Shire of Lake Grace,
on 15 May 2019; the Hollands Rock area of
the Shire of Kent, on 5 June 2019; the Ardler Road area of the Shire of Lake
Grace, on 5 December 2019; the northern area of the Shire of
Jerramungup, on 18 December 2019; and the Grass Patch area of the Shire of
Esperance, on 18 December 2019.
(2) We have
received no further requests from local government authorities for water
deficiencies to be declared. The Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation, together with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development and the Water Corporation, continues to monitor and assess the
capacity of both on-farm and off-farm water supplies, and is actively engaging
with shires and farmers to determine livestock water needs.
(3) The cost of
carting water to various areas varies from day to day and week by week,
depending on the volume of water and the carting distance. For the month of
January, the average daily cost was $13 000.
(4) The Water
Corporation is carting from a number of locations, including a number of scheme
locations and some disused storages. The capacity of each source is being
monitored to ensure sustainable use. Madam President, there is a list of
locations and where they are being carted from, which I seek leave to
incorporate into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following material
was incorporated —
Location
Carted
from
Mount
Short, Shire of Ravensthorpe
Newdegate
Holland
Rock, Shire of Kent
Newdegate
/ Lake Grace
Tommy's
Dam/Mallee Hill, Shire of Lake Grace
Lake
Grace
Ardler
Road, Shire of Lake Grace
Newdegate
/ Lake Grace / South Kulin (GSTWS)
Grass
Patch, Shire of Esperance
Norseman
Jerramungup,
Shire of Jerramungup
Mt
Barker / Tambellup
(5) Our
government has invested $1.5 million in 34 projects across the southern
farmland area since 2019 and has also supported farming communities through the
community water supplies grant program, with seven local government authorities
sharing $495 000 to improve off-farm emergency water supplies and to build on strategic community water supplies.
The department currently administers the national on-farm emergency
water infrastructure rebate scheme, which provides a rebate of up to $25 000—25
per cent of purchase price—for water
infrastructure, including desalination equipment. The government is also
seeking funding through the commonwealth government's $100 million
per year Future Drought Fund, to support expansion of the state's
strategic water supplies and new initiatives to support the increased use of
desalination technology in suitable areas.
The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for Water.
(1) Six areas
have been declared water deficient to date: the Mt Short area of the Shire of
Ravensthorpe, on 8 May 2019; the Mallee Hill area of the Shire of Lake Grace,
on 15 May 2019; the Hollands Rock area of
the Shire of Kent, on 5 June 2019; the Ardler Road area of the Shire of Lake
Grace, on 5 December 2019; the northern area of the Shire of
Jerramungup, on 18 December 2019; and the Grass Patch area of the Shire of
Esperance, on 18 December 2019.
(2) We have
received no further requests from local government authorities for water
deficiencies to be declared. The Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation, together with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development and the Water Corporation, continues to monitor and assess the
capacity of both on-farm and off-farm water supplies, and is actively engaging
with shires and farmers to determine livestock water needs.
(3) The cost of
carting water to various areas varies from day to day and week by week,
depending on the volume of water and the carting distance. For the month of
January, the average daily cost was $13 000.
(4) The Water
Corporation is carting from a number of locations, including a number of scheme
locations and some disused storages. The capacity of each source is being
monitored to ensure sustainable use. Madam President, there is a list of
locations and where they are being carted from, which I seek leave to
incorporate into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following material
was incorporated —
Location
Carted
from
Mount
Short, Shire of Ravensthorpe
Newdegate
Holland
Rock, Shire of Kent
Newdegate
/ Lake Grace
Tommy's
Dam/Mallee Hill, Shire of Lake Grace
Lake
Grace
Ardler
Road, Shire of Lake Grace
Newdegate
/ Lake Grace / South Kulin (GSTWS)
Grass
Patch, Shire of Esperance
Norseman
Jerramungup,
Shire of Jerramungup
Mt
Barker / Tambellup
(5) Our
government has invested $1.5 million in 34 projects across the southern
farmland area since 2019 and has also supported farming communities through the
community water supplies grant program, with seven local government authorities
sharing $495 000 to improve off-farm emergency water supplies and to build on strategic community water supplies.
The department currently administers the national on-farm emergency
water infrastructure rebate scheme, which provides a rebate of up to $25 000—25
per cent of purchase price—for water
infrastructure, including desalination equipment. The government is also
seeking funding through the commonwealth government's $100 million
per year Future Drought Fund, to support expansion of the state's
strategic water supplies and new initiatives to support the increased use of
desalination technology in suitable areas.
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