Hon Robin Chapple questions the sustainability of groundwater supplies in the West Kimberley region for intensive agriculture, focusing on potential environmental and health impacts, particularly saltwater intrusion in Derby's drinking water. The Minister was unable to provide an answer within the given timeframe.

AnsweredQoN 749Legislative Council
Asked
12 August 2014
Portfolio
Water

QuestionView source ↗

DERBY,
KNOWSLEY, MOWANJUM, FITZROY VALLEY — GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES
749. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the
minister representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to
the Water for Food, West Kimberley program.
(1) What
evidence is there that the groundwater supplies at Knowsley, Mowanjum and the
Fitzroy Valley are adequate and sufficiently sustainable to support intensive
irrigated agriculture projects such as those announced recently?
(2) What will
be the environmental and health impacts of the drawdowns being proposed,
especially in Derby, where there has been an inland migration of the salt water
interface and a consequent rise in salinity levels of drinking water for some
years?
(3) What
monitoring will be put in place to measure the rate of salt water intrusion
into the Derby town water supply, and what contingency procedures are in place?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question.
On behalf of the Minister for Water, the answer is that
information is not available in the time required, and I therefore ask the
honourable member to place the question on notice.

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