❓ Mr Castrilli asks about securing water supplies in the South West due to declining rainfall. The Minister outlines upgrades to the Warren-Blackwood regional water supply scheme, including the Millstream Dam and Nannup bore.
AnsweredQoN 693Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER
SUPPLY — SOUTH WEST
693. Mr G.M. CASTRILLI to the
Minister for Water:
A lot of work has been undertaken to climate-proof the Perth
drinking water supply. However, some parts of the south west are also
experiencing a decline in rainfall. What has been done to secure water supplies
in these areas?
SUPPLY — SOUTH WEST
693. Mr G.M. CASTRILLI to the
Minister for Water:
A lot of work has been undertaken to climate-proof the Perth
drinking water supply. However, some parts of the south west are also
experiencing a decline in rainfall. What has been done to secure water supplies
in these areas?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and his interest in what
the government is doing in regional Western Australia to secure water supplies
long into the future. We often speak in this place about the fact that we have
drought-proofed the Perth metropolitan water supplies through the groundwater
replenishment scheme and the desalination plants. However, recently, while I
was in Manjimup for a regional cabinet meeting, I visited the Millstream Dam
near Bridgetown to see for myself the work that has been happening with the Warren–Blackwood
regional water supply scheme. This scheme will ultimately supply up to eight
towns—Boyup Brook, Hester, Greenbushes, Balingup, Mullalyup, Kirup,
Bridgetown and Manjimup. We are talking about connecting a number of towns into
this supply. I am sure that members will remember going back some years there
were serious concerns in that area about the supply of water. Following a
number of dry winters, Manjimup was on stage 6 water restrictions and there was
talk that water would need to be tanked or carted in over the summer. We
continue to upgrade the surface and groundwater supply sources infrastructure
to ensure that we have a reliable water source going into the future for these
communities.
In 2009 under the previous government—I will give
credit where it is due—a bore was drilled in Nannup to supplement the
supplies from the Millstream Dam. In 2013, upgrades were completed on the
Millstream Dam that increased the capacity of that dam by 120 per cent. It is
now the central storage point for the whole scheme. That work was vital to
ensure a sustainable water source going forward. We have also fast-tracked the
pipeline between the Nannup bore and Manjimup to ensure that Manjimup's
water supply can be guaranteed, which I know gives much comfort to the people
of Manjimup going forward into summer this year.
The south west is a very important community that we have
identified through our SuperTowns planning process. I am sure that members of
cabinet who were there recently would agree that there are some fantastic
things happening in that part of the world, and that it is our responsibility
to ensure that we support not only the communities, but also industry and
agriculture as they go forward. I would also like to put on record my
appreciation for the work of groups down there, particularly the Warren–Donnelly
group. We are doing some innovative work in that space, and the communities in
this part of the world are very conscious about they use water sustainably
going forward.
the government is doing in regional Western Australia to secure water supplies
long into the future. We often speak in this place about the fact that we have
drought-proofed the Perth metropolitan water supplies through the groundwater
replenishment scheme and the desalination plants. However, recently, while I
was in Manjimup for a regional cabinet meeting, I visited the Millstream Dam
near Bridgetown to see for myself the work that has been happening with the Warren–Blackwood
regional water supply scheme. This scheme will ultimately supply up to eight
towns—Boyup Brook, Hester, Greenbushes, Balingup, Mullalyup, Kirup,
Bridgetown and Manjimup. We are talking about connecting a number of towns into
this supply. I am sure that members will remember going back some years there
were serious concerns in that area about the supply of water. Following a
number of dry winters, Manjimup was on stage 6 water restrictions and there was
talk that water would need to be tanked or carted in over the summer. We
continue to upgrade the surface and groundwater supply sources infrastructure
to ensure that we have a reliable water source going into the future for these
communities.
In 2009 under the previous government—I will give
credit where it is due—a bore was drilled in Nannup to supplement the
supplies from the Millstream Dam. In 2013, upgrades were completed on the
Millstream Dam that increased the capacity of that dam by 120 per cent. It is
now the central storage point for the whole scheme. That work was vital to
ensure a sustainable water source going forward. We have also fast-tracked the
pipeline between the Nannup bore and Manjimup to ensure that Manjimup's
water supply can be guaranteed, which I know gives much comfort to the people
of Manjimup going forward into summer this year.
The south west is a very important community that we have
identified through our SuperTowns planning process. I am sure that members of
cabinet who were there recently would agree that there are some fantastic
things happening in that part of the world, and that it is our responsibility
to ensure that we support not only the communities, but also industry and
agriculture as they go forward. I would also like to put on record my
appreciation for the work of groups down there, particularly the Warren–Donnelly
group. We are doing some innovative work in that space, and the communities in
this part of the world are very conscious about they use water sustainably
going forward.
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