❓ Mr. Nalder questions the Minister for Environment on the Liberal-National government's actions to protect and improve the health of the Swan and Canning Rivers. The Minister details ongoing oxygenation efforts and plans for a new oxygenation plant.
AnsweredQoN 229Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER QUALITY — CANNING RIVER
229. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Minister for Environment:
Prior to asking my question, I would like to acknowledge in
the gallery today students from Murdoch College in the Bateman electorate.
I note that on Monday this week the Department of Water
published a report on the Canning River, which was then the subject of an
article in The West Australian . Could
the minister please update the house on what the Liberal–National
government is doing to protect and improve the health of the Swan and Canning
Rivers?
229. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Minister for Environment:
Prior to asking my question, I would like to acknowledge in
the gallery today students from Murdoch College in the Bateman electorate.
I note that on Monday this week the Department of Water
published a report on the Canning River, which was then the subject of an
article in The West Australian . Could
the minister please update the house on what the Liberal–National
government is doing to protect and improve the health of the Swan and Canning
Rivers?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member very much for the question. This is a very
important issue for members who may have electorates bordering the river, such
as the member for Alfred Cove or indeed all members in this house. The
Department of Water released a report on Monday looking particularly at the
state of the Canning River above Kent Street Weir. This report identified some
significant legacy issues to do with the Canning River. If time had permitted,
I would have loved to have gone into those a little more. Some of the issues
date back to 1896 when C.Y. O'Connor initially opened the river mouth.
The report acknowledged that fish communities as a whole have improved over the
past five years, as indeed has the health of the river. Although some good work
has been done, I certainly acknowledge as minister that we still have work to
do. The report makes two key recommendations, one of which lands firmly within
the Department of Environment portfolio; that is, the recommendation that the
government continues oxygenation of the Canning River upstream from Kent Street
Weir.
I am happy to report to the house
that this government will not only continue oxygenation but will go a step
further. I will outline this to the house very briefly. I am holding up a graph
related to the Canning River estuary. It is a snapshot taken from 30 April this
year. It is a recent snapshot across four different measures of the health of
the river. For newer members of the house, the graph is colour-coded: red is
bad—the redder it gets, the worse it is—and blue is good. I
will go through that in more detail. This gap in the graph is the Kent Street Weir.
Everything from here —
Mr
P.B. Watson : Is this a lecture?
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Member, please, I am trying to be very quick.
Everything from this point on the
graph is upstream. Members will see that this is the freshwater section and
this is the saline section. I will table this in a moment. I particularly draw
members' attention to the dissolved oxygen and what is happening with
oxygenation in the Canning River. There is a lot of blue, which means it is
well oxygenated, up until Kent Street Weir. Beyond that, there is a good space
of blue—oxygenation—directly beyond the weir. The river depth
at Nicholson Road Bridge is six metres. It gets very red in that space. The
government currently has two oxygenation plants, at Bacon Street and Camsell
Way, about 2.5 kilometres upstream. Members will see the state of the river
there. It is clearly plummeting in terms of oxygenation.
The SPEAKER :
Minister, that is getting very technical and nobody can see that graph.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am sorry, Mr Speaker.
I know many members have riverfront electorates. This
government will build a brand-new oxygenation plant at Nicholson Road Bridge. I
hope to report back to members and see everything blue beyond this area. I will
also just point out to members that it will cover this area as well, which is
2.5 kilometres upstream. Significantly, members, that is not all we are doing.
We will also upgrade the oxygenation plants. Members will see a bit of red —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Minister, next time you bring these miniature charts in, can you remind us to
bring our own magnifying glasses! Can you please wind up your answer.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Members will see a small amount of red. These graphs are also in the report,
although they are not quite as up to date as these, but I think they will show
similar data. This is one small but significant aspect in a range of strategies
this government is rolling out. The Liberal–National government is
committed to continual health improvement of the Swan and Canning River basins.
[See papers 366 and 367.]
important issue for members who may have electorates bordering the river, such
as the member for Alfred Cove or indeed all members in this house. The
Department of Water released a report on Monday looking particularly at the
state of the Canning River above Kent Street Weir. This report identified some
significant legacy issues to do with the Canning River. If time had permitted,
I would have loved to have gone into those a little more. Some of the issues
date back to 1896 when C.Y. O'Connor initially opened the river mouth.
The report acknowledged that fish communities as a whole have improved over the
past five years, as indeed has the health of the river. Although some good work
has been done, I certainly acknowledge as minister that we still have work to
do. The report makes two key recommendations, one of which lands firmly within
the Department of Environment portfolio; that is, the recommendation that the
government continues oxygenation of the Canning River upstream from Kent Street
Weir.
I am happy to report to the house
that this government will not only continue oxygenation but will go a step
further. I will outline this to the house very briefly. I am holding up a graph
related to the Canning River estuary. It is a snapshot taken from 30 April this
year. It is a recent snapshot across four different measures of the health of
the river. For newer members of the house, the graph is colour-coded: red is
bad—the redder it gets, the worse it is—and blue is good. I
will go through that in more detail. This gap in the graph is the Kent Street Weir.
Everything from here —
Mr
P.B. Watson : Is this a lecture?
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Member, please, I am trying to be very quick.
Everything from this point on the
graph is upstream. Members will see that this is the freshwater section and
this is the saline section. I will table this in a moment. I particularly draw
members' attention to the dissolved oxygen and what is happening with
oxygenation in the Canning River. There is a lot of blue, which means it is
well oxygenated, up until Kent Street Weir. Beyond that, there is a good space
of blue—oxygenation—directly beyond the weir. The river depth
at Nicholson Road Bridge is six metres. It gets very red in that space. The
government currently has two oxygenation plants, at Bacon Street and Camsell
Way, about 2.5 kilometres upstream. Members will see the state of the river
there. It is clearly plummeting in terms of oxygenation.
The SPEAKER :
Minister, that is getting very technical and nobody can see that graph.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am sorry, Mr Speaker.
I know many members have riverfront electorates. This
government will build a brand-new oxygenation plant at Nicholson Road Bridge. I
hope to report back to members and see everything blue beyond this area. I will
also just point out to members that it will cover this area as well, which is
2.5 kilometres upstream. Significantly, members, that is not all we are doing.
We will also upgrade the oxygenation plants. Members will see a bit of red —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Minister, next time you bring these miniature charts in, can you remind us to
bring our own magnifying glasses! Can you please wind up your answer.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Members will see a small amount of red. These graphs are also in the report,
although they are not quite as up to date as these, but I think they will show
similar data. This is one small but significant aspect in a range of strategies
this government is rolling out. The Liberal–National government is
committed to continual health improvement of the Swan and Canning River basins.
[See papers 366 and 367.]
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