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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 594 asked in the Legislative Council on 12 September 2017 by Hon Diane Evers

Parliament: 40 Session: 1


DENMARK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT — WILSON INLET — NUTRIENT LOAD
      594. Hon DIANE EVERS to the minister representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the previous government's 2015 commitment of $15 million for a project to recycle treated wastewater from the Denmark wastewater treatment plant for use in irrigation.
(1) Why has funding for this project been cut?
(2) Does the government intend to proceed with this project in the future; and, if so, when?
      (3) What action is the government taking to address community concerns about the impact of treated wastewater discharging into Wilson Inlet, including the fact that high nutrient levels are considered a major threat to the inlet's ecosystem?
(4) If no action is being taken, why not?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question. The answer is based on information that has been provided to me by the Minister for Water.
      (1) The member will no doubt be aware of the financial mess left by the previous government, and, as a result, all unspent budget commitments were reviewed in the lead-up to the budget. In the absence of health concerns and due to the low impact on the nutrient load in Wilson Inlet, this project was not funded.
      (2) There is no intention to proceed with this project at this time; however, the project will remain under consideration.
      (3) The Denmark WWTP contributes only 0.6 per cent of the nutrient load in Wilson Inlet, with the majority coming from grazing land, dairies, plantations and horticulture. The state government will continue investment in the $20 million regional estuaries initiative, including $2 million for Wilson Inlet for reducing the nutrient load through dairy effluent and fertiliser management programs, and waterways protection and restoration actions.
(4) Not applicable.