NEERABUP GROUNDWATER
TREATMENT PLANT
1200. Hon COLIN TINCKNELL to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the government's
announcement that it will spend more than $50 million to upgrade the Neerabup
groundwater treatment plant—to be completed next year—which
will double the recharge capacity of the scheme from 14 billion litres to 28
billion litres.
(1) What is the anticipated time
frame for completion?
(2) How many jobs are anticipated to
be —
(a) full-time;
and
(b) part-time?
(3) How many jobs will be ongoing
once the upgrade has been completed?
(4) I refer to
the reported government spend of $7 million to build infrastructure to expand
the great southern temporary water carting program to Denmark and supplement
the local water supply. This will involve carting water from supply points in
the lower great southern towns of Mt Barker, Narrikup and Albany to Denmark.
Therefore, can the minister please advise whether the government has any
long-term plans to solve the water crisis in Denmark and the south west?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The Minister for Water has provided the following information.
(1) Expected completion is by the
end of 2020.
(2) In total, 120 full-time jobs
will be created.
(3) There will be three.
(4) The south
west of Western Australia is one of the areas on the planet that has been most
affected by climate change through declining rainfall. The government has been
responsive to this new reality in a number of strategic ways through careful
planning, including connecting towns to bigger schemes with multiple source
options, water carting and working with the community to save water. Thanks to
this careful planning, people living across the region continue to have a secure
water supply. The McGowan government will spend $39 million on a plan to secure
Denmark's water supply. The plan includes short and medium-term
solutions, as follows: stage 5 water restrictions for Denmark from 1 October
2019; working with the Denmark community to help it use less scheme water
through the Denmark Waterwise Towns Program, which commenced on 1 October 2019;
carting water to Denmark from Albany to supplement the local drinking water
scheme until a new pipeline is built; and building a new water pipeline to
connect Denmark to the lower great southern towns water supply scheme in
Albany.