❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Water's claim that Perth's water supply is droughtproof, citing lack of evidence and potential undermining of water conservation efforts. The Minister defends the government's investments in water infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 382Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER — PERTH AND INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM —
DROUGHTPROOFING
382. Mr D.J. KELLY to the Minister for
Water:
I refer the minister to claims she
made in this house that the Barnett government has '' droughtproofed Perth and the interconnected
system'' and to her answer yesterday to a question on notice in
which she declined to give any supportive evidence of this claim.
(1) Does she
accept that her ''I have droughtproofed Perth'' statement was an
irresponsible claim that is not supported by any scientific assessment of Perth's
future and current water needs?
(2) Is she not
undoing the hard work and millions of dollars spent by successive governments
on community education campaigns by sending the wrong message to customers that
our water supply problems are over?
DROUGHTPROOFING
382. Mr D.J. KELLY to the Minister for
Water:
I refer the minister to claims she
made in this house that the Barnett government has '' droughtproofed Perth and the interconnected
system'' and to her answer yesterday to a question on notice in
which she declined to give any supportive evidence of this claim.
(1) Does she
accept that her ''I have droughtproofed Perth'' statement was an
irresponsible claim that is not supported by any scientific assessment of Perth's
future and current water needs?
(2) Is she not
undoing the hard work and millions of dollars spent by successive governments
on community education campaigns by sending the wrong message to customers that
our water supply problems are over?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. I was not expecting to get a dorothy dixer
from that side of the house, but thank you for letting me give the answer
again! It does not matter how many times the member asks me, I will say the
same thing. This state government and previous state governments have made
significant investments to make sure that when we turn on a tap in Western
Australia, water comes out. I would accept the member's argument if
there was a crisis in Western Australia, but I do not have one—there is
not one. We have invested in two desalination plants. We have gone to
full-scale production on a groundwater replenishment scheme, so we have
increased our recycling. We are working with communities to increase their
recycling. We have made significant investments at a time when we have had a
drying climate and a significant population growth, and we matched the
expenditure required to make sure we did not have a crisis in Western
Australia. I am very confident, barring the fact that we have a five or
10-year, once-in-a-lifetime drought, that we have made the appropriate
investment to give confidence to the people of Western Australia that when they
turn on a tap, water will come out.
thank the member for the question. I was not expecting to get a dorothy dixer
from that side of the house, but thank you for letting me give the answer
again! It does not matter how many times the member asks me, I will say the
same thing. This state government and previous state governments have made
significant investments to make sure that when we turn on a tap in Western
Australia, water comes out. I would accept the member's argument if
there was a crisis in Western Australia, but I do not have one—there is
not one. We have invested in two desalination plants. We have gone to
full-scale production on a groundwater replenishment scheme, so we have
increased our recycling. We are working with communities to increase their
recycling. We have made significant investments at a time when we have had a
drying climate and a significant population growth, and we matched the
expenditure required to make sure we did not have a crisis in Western
Australia. I am very confident, barring the fact that we have a five or
10-year, once-in-a-lifetime drought, that we have made the appropriate
investment to give confidence to the people of Western Australia that when they
turn on a tap, water will come out.
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