Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water) Share this | Hansard source

We can agree on something. The project, which I visited in December, is developing coatings that will reduce biofouling of the reverse osmosis membranes—that is not easy to say—used to take the salt out of the water. Biofouling can reduce the performance of the membranes which, in turn, can increase the cost. So, by reducing the extent of the problem, the costs of desalination can be brought down.

In November last year I was proud to announce the opening of a pioneering groundwater replenishment trial in Perth—even drinking some recycled water on that occasion—that received more than $19 million in Australian government funding. This important project has the potential to substantially offset the impact of the decline in inflows to Perth’s dams that has occurred over the last 30 years. It is interesting to note that, if you drew a line from, say, Geraldton to Adelaide, there was rainfall everywhere east of that line, but in the remaining portion, particularly around Perth, they continued to have very severe drought conditions. This project that I am speaking about will trial the world’s best, state-of-the-art managed aquifer recharge technology and will test the impact of the groundwater replenishment on aquifer water quality.

The Gillard government is also delivering more than $11 million in funding to a landmark water recycling project in West Werribee in Victoria. As you would probably know, West Werribee is a dramatically expanding part of Melbourne. I can see Senator Ryan nodding in agreement with that because he has probably been there as well. This project will take recycled water from Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant and further process it to reduce salt and then inject it into the underground aquifer for storage. The water will then be available for use in home gardens, for toilet flushing and in public open spaces through the West Werribee Dual Supply project. Research efforts and projects like these will help future water managers to manage our water supplies through the peaks and troughs of increasing climate variation. The Gillard government is delivering on its commitment to sustainable urban water management across the nation through projects that help consumers better manage their water use.

In December I travelled to Senator Carol Brown’s home state and visited Hobart to launch the Water Metering Tasmania project. The Gillard government is providing $10 million to Tasmania’s three water corporations to install water meters to unmetered properties and to upgrade meters that do not meet required standards in regional Tasmania. The project is expected to save more than eight billion litres of water a year through improved detection and repair of leaks. The smart meters will make it very clear if you have a leak on your property, which you will be able to act on rather than wait until an expensive bill comes through. The meters will also enable consumers to make informed choices to better manage their water usage.

A few days later I was in Maryborough in Queensland where, unfortunately, the impacts of that state’s flood crisis have since been felt. While in Maryborough I was very impressed by the town’s Proud Mary: Modernising Maryborough’s Water Systems project. The Gillard government has committed $5.7 million to the project, which involves an integrated suite of activities that will improve the efficiency of the town’s water supply system. One of those activities will be the rollout of more than 9,000 smart water meters which can be read remotely using a receiver. This system was demonstrated to me in nearby Hervey Bay where hundreds of meters are read in minutes using the technology, and where consumers have access to detailed information about their water use.

Water resource management is supported by our authorities: the Bureau of Meteorology and the National Water Commission. In October last year I was very pleased to officially launch the first national water storage information website hosted by the Bureau of Meteorology. I know that, if Senator Bernardi has an iPad, he can download a map that will now give him that updated information. This new product is an important step in providing the Australian community with a consistent and comprehensive national picture of Australia’s water resources, pretty much in real time.

I was also very happy, in December, to visit the picturesque town of Esperance, not that far from Yorke Peninsula, on the southern coast of Western Australia, to open a purpose-built new Bureau of Meteorology observation office. The office features a new 14-metre-high radar tower, which is double the height of the one it replaced, which will provide higher resolution weather surveillance at a greater range.

In terms of sustainability, in November, it was my great pleasure to attend the switch-on event for Sydney Theatre Company’s Greening the Wharf project. The project, which is supported by the government with $1.2 million in funding through our Green Precincts Fund, features the second largest rooftop photovoltaic array in the country. Senator Bernardi would be interested to know that the largest one, of course, is at the Adelaide Showground. It is expected to produce up to 70 per cent of Sydney Theatre Company’s energy requirements, while an innovative rainwater harvesting, storage and reticulation system will supply 100 per cent of the company’s non-potable water.

But Green Precincts projects are not just about energy and water savings. The Greening the Wharf project will create a showcase green precinct at a well-recognised harbour-side wharf. Its value includes the demonstration of sustainable practices to the very large number of people, more than 300,000 each year, who attend the Sydney Theatre Company. It also demonstrates that significant sustainability practices can be undertaken at important heritage sites.

Sustainability and water security continue to be vitally important issues for Australia now and in the future. The extreme and tragic weather events we have seen across Australia in the past few weeks—floods, cyclones and fire—illustrate the unpredictable nature of our nation. While much of the country in the east is now experiencing flood, it is not so long ago that much of Australia was besieged by drought. As we, the Gillard government, work together with state and local governments to rebuild those areas hardest hit in recent times we will not be distracted from the importance of urban water reform and securing Australia’s water supplies for the future, whatever the weather may bring.