House debates

Thursday, 4 December 2008

Adjournment

Dobell Electorate: Water

11:39 am

Photo of Craig ThomsonCraig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to speak about and express concern as to the progress that is not being made on a promise of the Rudd government regarding a pipeline on the Central Coast. The lack of progress is not of course the problem of the Rudd government, who quite promptly handed over the $80.3 million that we promised at election time. We have at the moment a problem with one of the local councils, which continually prevaricates about where this pipeline is going to go. In a sense, it is understandable that it is a little slow now, because we have had council elections and a changeover; 70 per cent of the council turned over. I am urging the council to move as quickly as possible to confirm the route of the pipeline so that work can begin and the water supply of the Central Coast can be guaranteed.

The Central Coast experienced the effects of the drought as badly as did any area in Australia. Our water supply dropped to a little under 12 per cent. We were down to 12 per cent of the water supply and, were the drought to continue, it looked very much like we were going to run out of water on the Central Coast. The Gosford/Wyong Councils Water Authority provides water to over 300,000 residents, and we were down to just less than 12 per cent. The Rudd government promised $80.3 million to build a pipeline between two dams, one of which is in the catchment area. It is a very small dam but it is always collecting water because it is where the rain actually falls. From this, there would be a pipeline up to a large storage dam, which has largely been close to empty for many, many years. This bit of vital infrastructure is something that the local council or state or federal government over the last 10 to 15 years should have acted on. We should not have been in the situation where our water supply was perilously close to empty, as it actually was. Thankfully, the Rudd government made good its promise. The money was given to the two local councils and the joint water authority for the pipeline to proceed.

The pipeline route has been recommended by experts. It goes through the private land of various people, and there has been extensive consultation over that. The joint water authority has recommended a route to both councils but both councils have to approve it. Unfortunately, the Wyong Shire Council has said that—despite our going through an almost 12-month period of consultation with the community—because it is a new council, it wants to again open up the issue and go out and walk the route. This of course has the potential to cause major delays. There is a council meeting next Wednesday. If this issue is not resolved by then, it will not have the chance to be resolved by the local council until the council’s February meeting. Of course, this would put back this vital bit of infrastructure, because until it is approved the pipeline cannot commence.

This is vital infrastructure for the Central Coast. It is estimated that, once the pipeline has been built, within five years the water supply, on average rainfall, will lift our dam levels to 80 per cent. We were at less than 12 per cent. With the pipeline being built and with just average rainfall, we would go to 80 per cent within five years. If the worst of the drought conditions were to continue, if there were to be maximum drought conditions—and factoring in the expected 75,000 more people who will be moving into the area—then within five years we would still see an increase from around 12 per cent to 55 per cent. You can see just how vital this pipeline is—just how necessary it is. We need the local council to move as quickly as possible to approve it.

Perhaps what we really need to consider in relation to this is making sure that the water authority on the Central Coast is an independent water authority, rather than one in a bureaucratic structure where we have to go back to councils even after the water authority has made recommendations based on solid scientific evidence and solid consultation with the community. It is vital that the building of this pipeline start. We need the Wyong council to approve the route of the pipeline, and we need it to be done immediately so that this pipeline can go ahead and the water supply of the Central Coast can be assured.