Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Harvey Water piping project. Harvey Water is a water supply cooperative responsible for the Harvey piping project. It is a group of farmers. Harvey Water has been operating in the Waroona, Harvey and Dardanup irrigation districts since privatisation to the farmers in 1996 and covers an area of 112,000 hectares.

In February 2004, Harvey Water approached the WA government with a proposal to pipe the Harvey irrigation district to yield 50 gigalitres of water at a cost of $250 million. The price was competitive with desalination at the time. The government agreed with the proposal and work started, involving 85 kilometres of pipe being completed on time and on budget of $24 million in 2005-06.

After the completion of the project, the reasons why it was such a success are very clear. Seventeen point one gigalitres of water are traded into the Integrated Water Supply System by agreement with WA’s Water Corporation at a very competitive cost. Harvey Water finished with a water delivery system which provides a higher level of customer service and is also cheaper and easier to run. Water saved and traded was formerly lost before it reached the farmers, so irrigators’ entitlements were not affected. The environment benefits from lower accessions to the groundwater and downstream receiving waters and a water delivery system which operates without greenhouse gas emissions both on and off the farm. Low-cost pipe was used to deliver water and save losses. The use of the trading opportunity to urban areas to fund the project was also a useful outcome. It is basically a gravity fed, low-energy irrigation system.

Harvey Water has encouraged the contribution to the sustainability of water resources in WA by identifying and accessing water of a quality which is suitable for potable purposes without the need for major risk management treatments. It saves water from being lost through the distribution system on the way to consumers, providing efficiency of delivery that improves that dramatically. It provides the opportunity for end users to make their own energy and other efficiency improvements, particularly pasture-wise.

The Harvey piping project utilised the community—many local people—in its manufacturing process. It has involved local farmers as the members of the cooperative, and I commend all those at Harvey Water for their vision. They are multi-awarded. Congratulations to Harvey Water.