Water Policy and Desalination

Ms CHERIE BURTON: My question is addressed to the Minister for Water Utilities. Can the Minister update the House on the latest information on water policy and desalination in New South Wales and around Australia?

Mr NATHAN REES: I thank the member for Kogarah for her question and commend her for her interest in this most important matter. As we have outlined previously, we have in place comprehensive plans for all of New South Wales to drought proof our drinking water supplies. In the city we have the desalination plant, which is under budget and twice the original scale, and we have the largest recycling schemes in Australia and more than 70 stormwater harvesting schemes already in place. In our rural areas we have Ian Armstrong, the former Leader of The Nationals, travelling around New South Wales and coming up with a plan to secure drinking water supplies for rural New South Wales.

In the Hunter and the Central Coast, we are building the $340 million Tillegra Dam to set up the Hunter and the Central Coast for the next 50 years. Massive expenditure has been undertaken on water resources infrastructure right cross New South Wales through clear, comprehensive plans to underpin the New South Wales $350 billion economy—the engine room of the nation's economy. The contrast between the New South Wales Government and the Opposition could not be more stark. More than a year into the Opposition's term the member for Ku-ring-gai and so-called Leader of the Opposition does not have a water policy that he has either articulated or put to the public for scrutiny—not that that is hard to do. We have done a bit of research. The other States have managed it. Liberal Oppositions in other States—for example, in South Australia—have said that they will build a desalination plant.

[Interruption]

The Liberals in South Australia said that they will build a desalination plant. That is uncomfortable for the Leader of the Opposition because when he goes to the policy drawer there is nothing in it. In January last year the Liberals in South Australia said that they would build a desalination plant, and even went as far as to suggest two possible sites. In Victoria in May last year the Liberal Opposition had this to say, " just get on with the job of delivering a desalination plant for Victorians ". In Queensland in March this year the Liberals said the Government should commit to building another desalination plant. Even the Liberals' Federal colleagues have been very clear on this: former Prime Minister Howard said we should build desalination plants.

Mr David Campbell: Who?

Mr NATHAN REES: Yes, former Prime Minister Howard—he is at Centrelink! Former Prime Minister Howard and former Federal Treasurer Costello backed desalination, as does Malcolm Turnbull. Brendan Nelson also backs desalination, but with a twist—he says that we should have desalination plants, but powered by nuclear plants. The Leader of the Opposition has been well and truly left behind. More than 12 months into the parliamentary term, on a very important public policy issue that is equally as important as is energy, he is nowhere to be seen—nowhere. He cannot even get his team singing from the same song sheet.

In March this year when dam levels rose and the Government announced that it would restore environmental flows to the Hawkesbury-Nepean, the member for Ku-ring-gai had this to say, "Clearly these extra flows aren't needed." It is a pity he did not tell his Opposition spokesperson for water, who said on the same day, "The Hawkesbury has been starved of water for some time." Even on the most basic issues there is dissonance between the Opposition spokesperson and the so-called Leader of the Opposition. The situation is crystal clear. The Opposition is a policy-free zone in relation to water and is an absolute joke when it comes to presenting decent alternative policies for the people of New South Wales to consider. I have a tip for the Leader of the Opposition: People are on to you, Barry!

This morning I was listening to him on the Mike Carlton program and, in ways reminiscent of John Hewson in 1993 during that infamous interview when he was asked to explain how the GST would apply to a birthday cake—members will recall that it was all downhill for Dr Hewson after that—the Leader of the Opposition was asked 14 times to articulate his position, and 14 times he was not able to articulate a position. That was Barry's John Hewson moment! All he could bang on about was a need to see the so-called detail. That did not stop his Coalition colleagues coming up with a clear and unequivocal policy response. Subsequently he pulled them into line, but it did not stop them coming up with a response.

Mr Chris Hartcher: Point of order: The question is about water in New South Wales. It was not about electricity. There seems to be a problem.

The SPEAKER: Order! I uphold the point of order. The Minister will address the leave of the question. I remind Opposition members that constant interjections are disorderly.

Mr NATHAN REES: It is very clear that when the pressure is on to provide policy, the Leader of the Opposition goes to water. That is the issue. This morning we also had a clear and unequivocal comment from Cassius, the lean and hungry member for Manly, to the effect that he did not need to see the details. He drew a very clear and deliberate distinction between himself and his so-called leader.

[Interruption]

The member for Coffs Harbour can fluff about that all he likes, but the reality for the member for Ku-ring-gai is that he has no water policy and no energy policy for New South Wales. If he ever occupies the Treasury benches, in 10 years time we will all be sitting around in the dust and the dark, wondering what happened. His recipe is for certain economic and social collapse. The Government is on to him. The public is on to him. He is a policy blancmange.