Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak about the Swan and Canning Rivers in my electorate of Swan. I have on many occasions in the past spoken in this place about the high concentration of nutrients in the Swan and Canning river system.

Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Sidebottom interjecting

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear the member for Braddon supporting my call and I know he is interested in the environment. A significant proportion of the Swan River’s nutrient load comes from the upper reaches of the Swan in Perth’s food-producing wheat belt region. However, nutrients also enter the river from the lower reaches of the Swan in the Perth metropolitan area, including from my electorate of Swan.

Members may recall that last year I spoke about the debate in my community about the relationship between the racecourse industry and the river. I spoke about the need to hold a local community forum involving all stakeholders to discuss these matters in some further detail and allow us to move forward as a community to protect our environment and our valuable racing industry. Eventually I managed to get the stakeholders around the table in my office to discuss this issue at the beginning of March. Community representatives and stakeholders from the Swan River Trust, the racecourse industry, two local council representatives and local environment groups were invited to attend, and I am pleased that many did.

There was a productive discussion about the relationship between the racecourse industry and the river system, and the community stakeholders briefed the group on the challenges that needed working on and the progress that is being made. Discussion then moved to the other sources of nutrient flux into the Swan-Canning river system. After some discussion stakeholders noted the most preventable cause in the local area was nutrient seepage from properties and industrial areas unconnected to the local sewerage network. The mayors of the City of Belmont and the Town of Victoria Park both noted that this was an issue in their local council area. According to the City of Belmont, the suburb of Kewdale, and the industrial area in particular, is affected by this problem. The Town of Victoria Park have also indicated that the industrial land and a small piece of land at the end of Goodwood Parade, which has the potential to be developed into a high-density residential property area, needs to be connected to the infill sewerage. I know the City of Belmont are calling for the Kewdale industrial area to be made a priority area under an expanded infill sewerage program and I will certainly support those calls.

Other issues discussed at the forum included the state government’s Fertiliser Action Plan, the impact of the Belmont Park foreshore development, the Town of Victoria Park’s recent survey of its drainage system and the Burswood Casino levy. All attendees agreed that the Rudd government’s funding cuts to the Perth NRM and the withdrawal of federal funding to a vital river-monitoring program were unhelpful and made it harder to look after and care for the river. Members also noted that one of the most significant problems affecting the Swan River was the deterioration of the river wall infrastructure.

I again urge this government to fund the project submitted to Infrastructure Australia by local councils back in 2008. This project has merit, and I am disappointed that the federal government continue to ignore it. It should not be too difficult to find $85 million when they have spent $2.7 billion on a failed and dodgy pink batts program. In conclusion, this was a productive meeting that highlighted some key issues for the Swan River in my electorate.