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| Mike Elliott Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
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Legislative
Council |
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| Mike Elliott Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
Parliament Index |
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The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney- General, representing the Minister for Government Enterprises, a question about the Barcoo Outlet.
Leave granted.
The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: It might be that several different ministers will need to respond to this question. The Barcoo Outlet is the diversion pipe that has been put in so that the Patawalonga no longer receives waters from the Sturt Creek or from a significant drainage area in West Torrens. Considerable concern has been expressed by members of the public about the fact that the water is being sent straight out to sea rather than going through a settlement process, as it used to do in the Patawalonga, before entering the sea. Many people believe that, if the Patawalonga was not to be used for settlement, many more wetlands should have been put in upstream to clean the water, rather than just build the Barcoo Outlet. Those concerns have been on the record for some time.
A couple of months back I asked questions of witnesses before the ERD Committee about the model that is being used in terms of the effluent plume that will form as a consequence. I note that, despite the fact that those people were asked to return with further information to the ERD Committee about that, they have not done so. I suppose there was a great deal of concern about the confidence in this model in terms of the effluent plumes and the consequences for the marine environment because the models that were used for sand movement proved to be so wrong, as indeed many people predicted they would be. The question of confidence with the model in terms of impact on the marine environment is one major issue.
The next issue that has been brought to my attention is that, as I understand it, the contract for the Barcoo Outlet was let for $16.8 million, which is another public contribution to the private development at Glenelg. According to my information, it appears highly likely that there will be a significant cost overrun with the Barcoo Outlet. Can the minister inform this place as to precisely what the expected cost of the Barcoo Outlet works will now be and, if there is a cost overrun, who will bear those costs?
The final matter that has been brought to my attention only today relates to stormwater drainage from the West Torrens area. In the past, much of that stormwater has gone out through the Patawalonga; now it is to go out through the Barcoo Outlet. I have been told that significant improvements have been made in the drainage and that will move more water more quickly into the Barcoo Outlet. I have also been informed that there is now a significant concern that the Barcoo Outlet will not be able to cope at all times with the quantity of water arriving, so there is concern about the potential for flooding as a consequence. When there are storm events, which often coincide with storm surge induced high tides, what assurance will the minister give that flooding will not result as a consequence of the Barcoo Outlet being unable to handle the volumes of water at that time?
My questions are:
1. Will the minister give an indication as to when responses will be given to the ERD Committee in terms of the modelling for the marine environment, particularly the pollution plumes created?
2. Will the minister give assurances that there will not be any cost overruns in relation to the Barcoo Outlet? If there are any, what overruns are expected and who will pay?
3. What assurances can be given in relation to the Barcoo Outlet not coping with, particularly, storm events and consequential flooding?
The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN (Attorney-General): I will refer those questions to my colleague in another place and bring back a reply.
See Government Response (13 March 2001)
