❓ Question regarding a treated sewage water spill from the Woodman Point plant into Cockburn Sound, and the Minister's response, which addresses the incident and defends the handling of the situation.
AnsweredQoN 582Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WOODMAN POINT WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT — TREATED SEWAGE WATER SPILL
I draw the minister’s attention to the massive uncontrolled spill of 10 million litres of treated sewage water from Woodman Point waste water treatment plant to Cockburn Sound, one of WA’s most important fish breeding grounds. (1) When did the minister become aware of this incident and what has he done about it? (2) As he is both water and environment minister, why has he refused to inform the public and the media about this disgraceful environmental spill? The minister said nothing about it until this morning. (3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION
I draw the minister’s attention to the massive uncontrolled spill of 10 million litres of treated sewage water from Woodman Point waste water treatment plant to Cockburn Sound, one of WA’s most important fish breeding grounds. (1) When did the minister become aware of this incident and what has he done about it? (2) As he is both water and environment minister, why has he refused to inform the public and the media about this disgraceful environmental spill? The minister said nothing about it until this morning. (3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(1) When did the minister become aware of this incident and what has he done about it? (2) As he is both water and environment minister, why has he refused to inform the public and the media about this disgraceful environmental spill? The minister said nothing about it until this morning. (3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(2) As he is both water and environment minister, why has he refused to inform the public and the media about this disgraceful environmental spill? The minister said nothing about it until this morning. (3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(1) When did the minister become aware of this incident and what has he done about it? (2) As he is both water and environment minister, why has he refused to inform the public and the media about this disgraceful environmental spill? The minister said nothing about it until this morning. (3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(2) As he is both water and environment minister, why has he refused to inform the public and the media about this disgraceful environmental spill? The minister said nothing about it until this morning. (3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(3) Why is there no mention of this giant pollution spill by either the Department of Environment and Conservation or the Cockburn Sound Management Authority, agencies charged with protecting the sound? Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
(1)–(3) I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. The member for Cockburn is being mischievous. He is trying to make a firecracker of an issue into a grenade. It is true — Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : Would you drink the water? The health department is saying, “Don’t eat the fish.” Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
The SPEAKER : You have asked the question, member for Cockburn. I will give the Minister for Environment the opportunity to answer the question. I do not need answers from anyone else at this point. Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : The Woodman Point waste water treatment plant produces about 120 million litres of highly treated waste water a day, and three days ago, on Monday, about lunchtime, one of the valves was stuck open. It is a gravity valve and, unfortunately, because it has remained open, when there is an excess of treated waste water at Woodman Point, some of it goes out through the secondary pipe. This pipe is 1.6 kilometres long. Under the licensing arrangements with the Water Corporation, this pipe is allowed to be used when there is maintenance — Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : It is for emergency purposes only. Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : — and emergency treatment. The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn! Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : I am trying to respond to the member, but he keeps interjecting. The water that is going — Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : Sorry. Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : The member for Cockburn likes to have a bob each way. Sometimes he likes to comment on the water treatment, and how we should recycle water and use it, but now he says that it is dangerous to the environment. I can assure the public of Western Australia — Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr F.M. Logan : Well, recycle it—don’t dump it in Cockburn Sound! Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
Mr W.R. MARMION : I can assure the public of Western Australia and the member for Cockburn that the Department of Health, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Water Corporation are working together on the issue. The Water Corp should have the valve fixed by the end of the day, if not tomorrow, and I can assure members that there is not an issue.
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