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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 3150 asked in the Legislative Council on 8 September 2020 by Hon Robin Chapple

Question Directed to the: Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Water
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 4507- View tabled paper


Question

I refer to the fish death on Liveringa station in September 2019, in a media article on ABC Kimberley Facebook on 21 November 2019, the Department of Water and Environment Regulation said it was ‘…examining whether extraction of water for irrigation from Snake Creek exacerbated the fish kill events’, and I ask:

(a) how many fish died during the mass-death event, in total:
(i) please list those in (a), by species; and
(ii) how many of these fish were endangered or protected species:
(A) in reference to (a)(ii), please list those species; and
(b) who, or which entity, informed the Department of the event:
(i) in reference to (b), on which date, and by what medium:
(A) if by written correspondence, could the Minister please provide a copy;
(c) does Liveringa station pump water from the area of Snake Creek in which the dead fish were found:
(i) if yes to (c), how much water, in total, is the station licensed to take from Snake Creek per annum:
(A) has the amount given at (c)(i) changed since the fish deaths;
(d) how does the Department monitor the actual volumes of water taken from Snake Creek;
(e) is there a meter to measure how much water this pumps extracts per annum:
(i) if no to (e), why not;
(f) during the season prior to the mass-deaths, how much water was licensed to be taken from Snake Creek:
(i) of that amount, how much was actually taken from Snake Creek;
(g) what minimum water-level must be retained in the pool:
(i) at this level, given at (g), is it still permissible to take water from the Creek, under licence;
(h) did the Department explicitly check Liveringa's compliance with the water licensing and requirements:
(i) if not to (h), why not; and
(ii) if yes to (h), when and how was compliance assessed;
(i) prior to the mass-death event, when was the Snake Creek to Liveringa pump used;
(j) what is the distance of the centre pivot from the pools where the dead fish were found;
(k) what chemicals were used over the preceding growing season;
(l) prior to the mass-death of the fish, when was the last application of chemicals at the station;
(m) what chemicals did the Department test for in the pool where the fish kill occurred;
(n) what fertiliser was applied to the centre pivot prior to the fish kill;
(o) what was the application rate of the fertilizer per hectare in the season prior to the fish deaths;
(p) when was the last recorded rainfall event at Snake Creek prior to the fish deaths:
(i) who, or which entity, recorded the rainfall;
(ii) how much rain fell during this event; and
(iii) what is the location of the monitor of rainfall at the station;
(q) what is the evaporation rate for this pool in centimetres, per day, during this time of year; and
(r) is there a report into the mass fish death event:
(i) if no to (r), why not; and
(ii) if yes to (r), will the Minister please table this report:
(A) if no to (r)(ii), why not?
Answered on 22 October 2020

(a) 42

(i) Adult barramundi

(ii) None

(A) Not applicable

(b) A member of the public informed the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development on 22 September 2019 and this information was then relayed to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. A report was also made on 25 September 2019 via the FishWatch hotline.

(i) Answered in (b) above

(A) Not applicable

(c) Yes

(i) Six gigalitres per annum however actual abstraction is subject to licence conditions including water levels at which pumping must cease.

(A) Licence conditions are under review.

(d) Water levels and meter readings are reported annually to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The Department conducts compliance site visits periodically to check correct installation and operation of meters and to take meter readings directly. The Department attended Liveringa for site visits in each of the past two years.

(e) Yes

(i) Not applicable

(f) Six gigalitres per annum

(i) 1.192 gigalitres

(g) The water licence requires the licensee to cease pumping at a level of 37.0 metres Australian Height Datum.

(i) No

(h) Yes

(i) Not applicable

(ii) The licensee notified the Department on 16 July 2019 that the cease to pump level had been reached on 15 July 2019 and that pumps were removed. Water level and meter data was also submitted to the Department on this date and reviewed for compliance against the licence and operating strategy. The Department conducted a site visit on 23 September 2019 to check compliance. The 2019 water year annual report was submitted to the Department on 28 February 2020 and was reviewed for compliance with licence conditions and operating strategy commitments.

(i) 15 July 2019

(j) Approximately 1.6 kilometres

(k) None

(l) Liveringa reported that no pest or disease control chemicals were applied but crops were fertilised several times.

(m) A full suite of water quality analytes were tested from water samples taken immediately after the fish deaths were reported (23 September 2019); phytoplankton, electrical conductivity, pH, alkalinity, turbidity, sulphate, chloride, dissolved major cations, total metals, nutrients, biological oxygen demand, organochloride and organophosphorous pesticide.

(n) A range of commercially available nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus based fertilisers were applied during the growing season of 2019. Pivot 2 area was not fertilised at all.

(o) Fertilisers were applied according to recommended application rates.

(p) 22 September 2019

(i) Liveringa Station Manager and recognised Bureau of Meteorology weather stations – Fitzroy Crossing Airport (station number 003093) and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation Rain Gauge Christmas Creek (station number 503013).

(ii) Fitzroy Crossing Airport recorded 1.4 millimetres on 23 September 2019 and 2.6 millimetres on the 24 September 2019. Christmas Creek recorded 3.2 millimetres on 24 September 2019.

(iii) Fitzroy Crossing Airport is 115 kilometres from the fish kill site and Christmas is 160 kilometres from the fish kill site.

(q) Evaporation exhibits a strong seasonal pattern, ranging from over 2 centimetres per month during the build-up (October through December), which is typically the hottest time of year, to about 1 centimetre per month during the middle of the dry season (June) [see tabled paper no.].

September evaporation ranges typically between 1.5 – 2 centimetres. The effect this has on the rate of change in the pool volume will depend on the volume and surface area of the pool, which would vary from year to year depending on the preceding wet season flow.

(r) Yes

(i) Not applicable

(ii) Yes, report tabled [see tabled paper no.]

(A) Not applicable.