SEPTIC TANK EFFLUENT DISPOSAL SCHEME — BRUCE ROCK
755. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the Bruce Rock septic
tank effluent disposal scheme, which hopefully my electorate is upwind from.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house who was responsible for conceiving the scheme, and
what impact has it had on the people of Bruce Rock?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what action the McGowan Labor government is
taking to support this community?
Mr D.J.
KELLY replied:
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and for her deep interest in
the issue of effluent. This question gives me the opportunity to talk about
some of the financial mismanagement wrought on the state by members opposite
when they were in government and the impact that they have had on the people of Bruce Rock. We all know that infill sewerage
can be quite popular in electorates, but it is just not feasible in some
small regional towns. The previous government, led by the then Minister for
Water, now the Leader of the Opposition,
came up with what are called STED schemes, which was referred to in the member's
question, which require residents to
maintain their septic tank and then builds a system whereby the overflow
is taken away by pipes and treated elsewhere. Instead of residents being able
to get rid of their septic tank, they are left with the cost of the septic tank
plus the cost of the scheme.
The member for Central Wheatbelt
announced the scheme for Bruce Rock. The former government also had the intent
of setting them up in Boyup Brook, Kukerin and Bindoon, all Nationals WA seats.
At the time it was announced in 2015, the then Minister for Water said that the
Bruce Rock project would cost $6 million.
When we came to government, it was already under construction. It has now cost
$11.8 million, for about 200 residents. Believe it or not, when they
began to construct the scheme in Bruce Rock, they discovered rock! That has blown out the construction cost. The former
government constructed the scheme at a cost of $11.8 million. The
residents will pay $1 200 in sewerage rates; they will still have to maintain
their septic tank and, despite all that, the scheme will still require a $600 000
per annum subsidy from the taxpayer for running the scheme.
Ms M.J. Davies: So Bruce
Rock doesn't deserve underground sewerage?
Mr D.J. KELLY: The member
for Central Wheatbelt said, ''Don't the people of Bruce Rock
deserve such a good scheme?'' What do the people of Bruce Rock actually
think about this scheme? They think this scheme stinks! According to my notes,
one local commented to the Water Corporation that she is —
''Definitely not happy to pay
an extra $207 every two months it's a total disgrace.
Another
resident said that their water rates this time last year were $34 and now they
are $270, and as yet they have not even paid to get connected. A third
resident said that he —
''Wasn't in favour of
the scheme as my leach drain system is effective. Because of the rocky ground
it will cost me $12,000 to connect to the scheme, I can't afford this.''
The
Water Corporation has been inundated with complaints from residents because the
project that the National Party thought was going to deliver it favour
in places like Bruce Rock is now costing taxpayers nearly $12 million to
construct and will cost $600 000 in annual subsidies, and people are getting
enormous bills for a scheme that they do not want. What have we done about it?
Several members interjected.
Mr D.J. KELLY: What have we
done —
Point of Order
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN:
Madam Speaker, I do not think the minister is encouraging interjections and yet
they are persisting.
The
SPEAKER: That is true. I can understand, given the reference to the
member for Central Wheatbelt, that she might interject in response, and I have
been tolerating that, but it is not an open invitation for every other member
of the National Party to also interject.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.J. KELLY: We have
announced that for two years, the residents of Bruce Rock will have their
wastewater charges waived to give them some financial relief so that they can
pay for the connection to the scheme. Beyond that, they will be stuck with a scheme for which they will have to
maintain their existing septic tanks, and they will have to pay for the
connection. The taxpayer will be left with a $600 000 per year subsidy to Bruce
Rock. This is exactly the sort of mismanagement
that we saw from the National Party. They thought they would win votes—clearly,
at the last election they did not—and
the residents of Bruce Rock and general taxpayers of Western Australia are
paying the cost.
The SPEAKER: The minister
for North West Central.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Sorry; member.