Water Supply Security

Mr DAVID BORGER: My question is addressed to the Minister for Water Utilities. Will the Minister update the House on the Government's success in securing Sydney's water supplies?

Mr NATHAN REES: I thank the member for his longstanding interest in this matter. It was good to see Barry with the member for Goulburn. We have not seen that in nearly 12 months—a transparent attempt to drive a wedge into the rising talent troika up there.

The SPEAKER: Order! Although Opposition benches have been provoked, I ask them to come to order.

Mr NATHAN REES: By 2015, under our Metropolitan Water Plan, Sydney will be recycling 70 billion litres of water and by 2032, 100 billion litres of water. That is 16 per cent of our total supply and targets that have been supported by the expert panel that endorsed our Metropolitan Water Plan. We have the three biggest recycling schemes in Australia: the BlueScope Steel facility in the Illawarra that deals with some seven billion litres of water each year, saving 20 per cent of drinking water supplies in the Illawarra; the Rouse Hill Residential Scheme catering for 36,000 homes, and the $250-million Western Sydney Recycling Scheme.

Two weeks ago we completed the 24-kilometre Liverpool to Ashfield pipeline enabling residential and commercial customers access recycled water. This was three months ahead of schedule and on cost at $130 million. I am pleased to advise the House also that we have reached agreement with our first customer. In keeping with the theme of the Minister for Sport and Recreation, I am pleased to announce that Rosehill Gardens Racecourse has agreed to sign a recycled water agreement with Sydney Water. The Turf Club, home to Sydney's premier two-year-old event, the Golden Slipper, will be the first customer to sign up to the recycled water scheme. It will use about three million litres of recycled water each year, the equivalent of 73 Olympic swimming pools of water. This is a major piece of recycling infrastructure, completed ahead of time, with our first customer agreement already on its way.

Earlier this week we also announced the restoration of environmental flows for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River of around 2 per cent each day. As our dam level hit 66 per cent it was appropriate that we do so. Those environmental flows had been halved in 2005 because of the severe drought. The restoration of these flows will have a positive effect on several fronts. It will reduce nutrient levels, increase oxygen levels and, importantly, increase the speed of the river flow. The river supports the second largest commercial fishery on the New South Wales coast, with prawns, oysters and fish production. It is a major source of agricultural products for the Sydney Markets. The restoration of these flows has been welcomed. Steve from Emu Plains, whom I am sure the member for Penrith knows, runs fishing tours on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. He emailed my office and said:

Thank you so much for the decision to up the environmental flows into the Nepean river.

Cate Faehrman of the Nature Conservation Council said:

This is good news for the water quality of the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system and for our native fish and water birds this step to give back to the environment is welcome all round.

The Chief Executive Officer of Greening Australia, David Butcher, said:

Putting more water back into the Hawkesbury-Nepean is the critical first step to boost the health of this vital waterway.

Members might ask what the Opposition's response was to the restoration? It will be no surprise that it was a policy debacle. On Monday morning, after the announcement to restore flows, the shadow Minister for Water, the member for Terrigal, welcomed the increased flows. He is reported on ABC radio news and online as saying "the Hawkesbury has been starved of water for some time" and that the move was overdue. A couple of hours later the Leader of the Opposition on ABC news said, "Clearly these extra flows aren't needed". That is a policy debacle—12 months after they were once again sent into opposition members opposite still do not have a water policy. It is one of the most important policy areas for any government, yet we have zip from that side of the House.

According to the Leader of the Opposition we do not need environmental flows and we do not need a desalination plant. One thing that is badly needed is a New South Wales State Director of the Liberal Party. Members can imagine my surprise when on Saturday morning over a cup of coffee and while leafing through the Sydney Morning Herald I saw an advertisement lodged by the New South Wales Liberal Party for a New South Wales State Director. This was a public advertisement to find someone to run what is meant to be the jewel in the Crown of the Australian Liberal Party. For months they have been knocking on doors asking people to come and work for them, but they received knock-back after knock-back. This is the bloke who redefined leadership.

Mr Andrew Constance: You're the bloke who sent his CV.

Mr NATHAN REES: I'll pay that. Members will recall that when the former member for Pittwater resigned from the Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition said, "I've got the numbers but I'm not nominating." That is leadership at its best. He can ride on the back of the newspapers—and he continues to do that—but that is no substitute—

Mr Greg Smith: Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 129 and relevance. This has nothing to do with the question that was asked. I ask that you direct the Minister to return to the leave of the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! I uphold the point of order. The Minister will return to the leave of the question, direct his comments through the chair and refer to other members by their correct titles.

Mr NATHAN REES: A year into this Parliament members opposite still have no plan to secure Sydney's water supply. In stark contrast, Sydneysiders have made a tremendous effort, using around the same amount of water now as we did in 1974, despite 1.2 million more people living in the Sydney Basin. The truth is that if the Opposition ever got near the Treasury benches, come the next drought they would be sitting around in the dust. They would be wondering what happened to the economy, our jobs and our quality of life. They should do the right thing and adopt our policy prescription to secure Sydney's water supply.