❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Minister for Water about the shutdown of standpipes in the Roe electorate during summer, impacting stock water. The Minister acknowledges insufficient notice was given but defends the Water Corporation's action to protect town water supplies.
AnsweredQoN 142Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER CORPORATION —
STANDPIPE WATER SUPPLY — ROE ELECTORATE
142. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the fact that 80 per cent
of standpipes in the Lake Grace and Kulin area were shut down at the height of
summer, with no notice provided.
(1) Does the
minister endorse Water Corporation's decision, which jeopardised
much-needed stock water and had animal welfare implications?
(2) Can the
minister enlighten my constituents on the infrastructure failures or staff
resourcing issues that led to this appalling situation?
(3) Will the
minister direct the Water Corporation to start maintaining water catchments and
the four dams around Lake Grace to help catch water rather than filling in
dams, which it is contemplating?
STANDPIPE WATER SUPPLY — ROE ELECTORATE
142. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the fact that 80 per cent
of standpipes in the Lake Grace and Kulin area were shut down at the height of
summer, with no notice provided.
(1) Does the
minister endorse Water Corporation's decision, which jeopardised
much-needed stock water and had animal welfare implications?
(2) Can the
minister enlighten my constituents on the infrastructure failures or staff
resourcing issues that led to this appalling situation?
(3) Will the
minister direct the Water Corporation to start maintaining water catchments and
the four dams around Lake Grace to help catch water rather than filling in
dams, which it is contemplating?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for that
question.
(1)–(3) If
the member reads the public commentary I made around that issue at the time, he
will see that I made it pretty clear that I did not think the Water Corporation
gave the residents who rely on those standpipes sufficient notice. The Water
Corporation—as I hope the member understands, because there has been
quite a bit of discussion about this incident—shut off the standpipes
because there was an unexpected spike in demand on them. That unexpected demand
meant that the scheme water—the town water supplies for a number of
towns in those areas—was put in jeopardy. The Water Corporation made
the decision that it needed to act to close the standpipes to ensure that those
towns could continue to have water flowing. If there is insufficient water,
action has to be taken, and that is what it did. It made sure that those towns
continued to have a reliable supply of water. Had it not done that, we could
have had a situation in which households, in all sorts of circumstances, would
not have had sufficient water.
Having made the decision to take that
action, the Water Corporation did not give people enough warning. At the time,
I commented publicly that I was not satisfied. I did not think that the Water
Corporation had given people as much notice as it should have. Since then I have
got the Water Corporation, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development together to
make sure that as best as possible that sort of incident does not happen again.
I do not criticise the Water Corporation for taking significant action, because
when town water supplies are in jeopardy, action has to be taken, but it has to
be done in a way so that the people who are affected and the people who rely on
those standpipes are given as much notice as possible. It has been a couple of
weeks since that happened and since then I have got together all the government
departments to make sure that as best as humanly possible that circumstance
will not be repeated.
question.
(1)–(3) If
the member reads the public commentary I made around that issue at the time, he
will see that I made it pretty clear that I did not think the Water Corporation
gave the residents who rely on those standpipes sufficient notice. The Water
Corporation—as I hope the member understands, because there has been
quite a bit of discussion about this incident—shut off the standpipes
because there was an unexpected spike in demand on them. That unexpected demand
meant that the scheme water—the town water supplies for a number of
towns in those areas—was put in jeopardy. The Water Corporation made
the decision that it needed to act to close the standpipes to ensure that those
towns could continue to have water flowing. If there is insufficient water,
action has to be taken, and that is what it did. It made sure that those towns
continued to have a reliable supply of water. Had it not done that, we could
have had a situation in which households, in all sorts of circumstances, would
not have had sufficient water.
Having made the decision to take that
action, the Water Corporation did not give people enough warning. At the time,
I commented publicly that I was not satisfied. I did not think that the Water
Corporation had given people as much notice as it should have. Since then I have
got the Water Corporation, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development together to
make sure that as best as possible that sort of incident does not happen again.
I do not criticise the Water Corporation for taking significant action, because
when town water supplies are in jeopardy, action has to be taken, but it has to
be done in a way so that the people who are affected and the people who rely on
those standpipes are given as much notice as possible. It has been a couple of
weeks since that happened and since then I have got together all the government
departments to make sure that as best as humanly possible that circumstance
will not be repeated.
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