❓ Ms. Duncan asks the Minister for Water for an update on the Mundaring Water Treatment Plant, which supplies water to her electorate. The Minister details the plant's capabilities, funding model (public-private partnership), and benefits to the region.
AnsweredQoN 206Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MUNDARING WATER TREATMENT PLANT
206. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the
Minister for Water:
I understand the Minister for Water and the Premier recently
opened the Mundaring water treatment plant.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition, I call you to order for the first time. Member for
Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time. I want to hear the member for
Kalgoorlie.
Ms W.M. DUNCAN :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Mundaring water treatment plant will treat water
supplied to my electorate through the goldfields pipeline. With this in mind,
can the minister please update the house on this exciting project?
206. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the
Minister for Water:
I understand the Minister for Water and the Premier recently
opened the Mundaring water treatment plant.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition, I call you to order for the first time. Member for
Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time. I want to hear the member for
Kalgoorlie.
Ms W.M. DUNCAN :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Mundaring water treatment plant will treat water
supplied to my electorate through the goldfields pipeline. With this in mind,
can the minister please update the house on this exciting project?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much, member for Kalgoorlie.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Balcatta, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : It
was a great morning; the Premier and I joined the member for Swan Hills, who is
the local member, representatives from the community and the stakeholders
involved in building this new facility. It was a public–private
partnership.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time. If you wish to
read, please do so in silence.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : It
is a key piece of infrastructure that will deliver benefits to people living in
the hills and via the goldfields pipeline all the way through the wheatbelt,
through my electorate, out to Kalgoorlie–Boulder and the member for
Kalgoorlie's electorate. The treatment plant treats water from a
variety of water sources including the Mundaring Weir, groundwater sources and
the Lower Helena water catchment. It is the first time in five years that we
have been able to treat the Lower Helena—is there a comment from across
the chamber?
The SPEAKER :
Through the Chair, minister.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
It is the Helena River.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
stand corrected. Regardless of the pronunciation of Helena, it is exciting that
the new technology in the treatment plant allows us to treat water that
previously could not be treated. This system can supply an additional 10 billion
litres of water that was unable to be treated previously by the old
infrastructure. Initially, the plant will treat 162 million litres per day,
which can be expanded to 240 million litres per day if needed. More than 100 000
people receive water from the goldfields pipeline. This new plant will improve
reliability and water quality. It is a very important project. The plant is
part of the ongoing program to upgrade the goldfields pipeline and the
agricultural water supply scheme, which is one of the world's greatest
engineering achievements and a part of folklore throughout Western Australia.
That after 100 years we still deliver water through this piece of
infrastructure was touched on by the Premier and a number of people at the
opening event.
This is the first water project funded through a public–private
partnership in Western Australia. The project has been delivered at a lower
cost than the public service models could deliver, because the project went to
tender and drew in innovative tender processing, and innovations and
efficiencies from the private sector that cannot be delivered by the public
sector. The treatment plant was developed through a partnership with the Water
Corporation and a consortium including Acciona Agua of Spain, Trility and an
infrastructure investment fund developed by Lloyds Bank in the United Kingdom.
The project partners were all represented at the opening function. There were also
representatives from Mitsubishi and a fantastic community turnout. They will
operate the plant for another 35 years before handing it back to the Water
Corporation. This was a great experience for everyone involved. I know that the
Water Corporation valued the experience and will be looking for future
opportunities to deliver these first-class assets, which deliver benefits to
the regions and the state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Balcatta, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : It
was a great morning; the Premier and I joined the member for Swan Hills, who is
the local member, representatives from the community and the stakeholders
involved in building this new facility. It was a public–private
partnership.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time. If you wish to
read, please do so in silence.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : It
is a key piece of infrastructure that will deliver benefits to people living in
the hills and via the goldfields pipeline all the way through the wheatbelt,
through my electorate, out to Kalgoorlie–Boulder and the member for
Kalgoorlie's electorate. The treatment plant treats water from a
variety of water sources including the Mundaring Weir, groundwater sources and
the Lower Helena water catchment. It is the first time in five years that we
have been able to treat the Lower Helena—is there a comment from across
the chamber?
The SPEAKER :
Through the Chair, minister.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
It is the Helena River.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
stand corrected. Regardless of the pronunciation of Helena, it is exciting that
the new technology in the treatment plant allows us to treat water that
previously could not be treated. This system can supply an additional 10 billion
litres of water that was unable to be treated previously by the old
infrastructure. Initially, the plant will treat 162 million litres per day,
which can be expanded to 240 million litres per day if needed. More than 100 000
people receive water from the goldfields pipeline. This new plant will improve
reliability and water quality. It is a very important project. The plant is
part of the ongoing program to upgrade the goldfields pipeline and the
agricultural water supply scheme, which is one of the world's greatest
engineering achievements and a part of folklore throughout Western Australia.
That after 100 years we still deliver water through this piece of
infrastructure was touched on by the Premier and a number of people at the
opening event.
This is the first water project funded through a public–private
partnership in Western Australia. The project has been delivered at a lower
cost than the public service models could deliver, because the project went to
tender and drew in innovative tender processing, and innovations and
efficiencies from the private sector that cannot be delivered by the public
sector. The treatment plant was developed through a partnership with the Water
Corporation and a consortium including Acciona Agua of Spain, Trility and an
infrastructure investment fund developed by Lloyds Bank in the United Kingdom.
The project partners were all represented at the opening function. There were also
representatives from Mitsubishi and a fantastic community turnout. They will
operate the plant for another 35 years before handing it back to the Water
Corporation. This was a great experience for everyone involved. I know that the
Water Corporation valued the experience and will be looking for future
opportunities to deliver these first-class assets, which deliver benefits to
the regions and the state.
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