Question On Notice No. 258 asked in the Legislative Council on 31 August 2021 by Hon James Hayward
Question Directed to the: Minister representing the Minister for Housing
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the recent Auditor General’s Delivering Essential Services to Remote Aboriginal Communities, Follow-up Report, and I ask:
(a) has the Minister acted to improve water access and purity in the 38
communities mentioned in the report:
(i) if yes to (a), please detail what action
to date for each community;
(b) did the Minister consult with the Minister for Water on this issue:
(i) if yes to (b), please table meeting dates and times;
(c) has the Minister visited these communities since the report was tabled;
(d) how regularly are water tests undertaken at all regional and remote communities; and
(e) has the Department of Communities developed any plans for improving access to clean and pure water in remote communities?
Answered on 12 October 2021
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question.
(a-e) Communities manages water quality in accordance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, which are the national standard, as well in line with the Remote Area Essential Services Guidelines.
89 small and large communities, in which 95 per cent of remote community residents live, receive monthly bacteriological testing of reticulated water, six monthly chemical testing of reticulated water and six monthly chemical and bacteriological testing of groundwater bores. 44 very small communities, some occupied only sporadically, receive annual chemical and physical water quality testing.
The Auditor General s Delivering Essential Ser ices to Remote Aboriginal Communities - Follow Up report, tabled on 2 June 2021, assessed whether the Department of Communities (Communities) effectively addressed findings from the 2015 audit.
The report found the State Government has made progress on all of the recommendations from the 2015 report and that water quality has improved in many remote communities which has reduced risk to public health. Work with utility providers and other Government agencies on options to improve delivery of essential services in remote Aboriginal communities is ongoing.
The report also noted the Commoriwealth withdrawal from long tanding funding arrangements for municipal and essential services in remote WA communities in 2015. This has left an annual budget shortfall that averages $146 million per year.