7
November 2008 - Lower Lakes communities
can look forward to a more secure drinking
water supply early in the New Year now that
construction has commenced on 130 kilometres
of pipeline in the region.
South Australian Premier,
Mike Rann, and Minister for the Water Security,
Karlene Maywald, were joined by Commonwealth
Government Minister for Climate Change and
Water, Senator Penny Wong, to visit the
pipeline construction site today.
"Pipelines will
deliver water from Tailem Bend and Strathalbyn
to households and properties in the Langhorne
Creek, Raukkan, and Narrung and Poltalloch
Peninsulas," Senator Wong said.
"This is the first
of several projects to be rolled out as
part of the South Australian Government's
$610 million Murray Futures package, funded
under the Australian Government's Water
for the Future program."
Premier Rann says the $120 million needed
for this project was secured at the COAG
meeting in July this year as part of the
Murray Futures package.
"It's great to
see that only a few months later, the construction
of the pipeline is progressing at a rapid
rate with a likely finish date very early
in the new year.
"This is being
built in response to critical drought conditions
facing the communities of the Lower Lakes
and to the deterioration in the condition
of the lakes.
"Piping of potable
water for domestic and stock purposes will
remove all uncertainty for those communities
previously reliant on the Lower Lakes for
their water supplies and take pressure off
the lake system in the future," Premier
Rann said.
"There is a pressing
need to get this pipeline in place so that
Lower Lakes communities can be assured of
a safe and reliable water supply."
Minister Maywald said
the contract to construct the pipeline was
awarded to Leed Engineering and Constructions
and construction had begun on a number of
fronts to ensure the project was able to
deliver mains water to the community as
soon as possible.
"Representatives
from SA Water and Primary Industries and
Resources SA have already consulted with
more than 100 individual landholders in
the region to discuss connection details.
Consultation will continue over the coming
month," Minister Maywald said.
"For many people
in this community it will be the first time
they have received mains water, with most
of their supply previously coming from Lower
Lakes, rainfall and most recently, trucking
water into their properties."
The township of Langhorne
Creek is currently supplied water from a
local groundwater resource, which is managed
by the Alexandrina Council. The degradation
of this resource means that it can no longer
support the town's domestic water needs.
"Once this project
is complete a pipeline will run from Strathalbyn
to Langhorne Creek and supply the township
with drinking water from SA Water's Summit
Storage," Minister Maywald said.
"This will mean
that those people in Langhorne Creek who
were supplied water by the Alexandrina Council,
will now be supplied filtered mains water
from SA Water.
"The Langhorne
Creek and Currency Creek irrigation communities
are also working with the Government on
a separate Murray Futures project to build
a pipeline to supply irrigation water to
the region by the 2009 irrigation season."
Anyone in the region
who would like to enquire about connecting
to SA Water's mains supply is encouraged
to contact SA Water on 1300 650 950.
+ More
Next steps in Menindee
Lakes water savings projects
13 November 2008 - Efforts
to save water in the Menindee Lakes in western
New South Wales received a boost today with
the award of a $1.3 million contract for
the Darling River Water Savings Project
(Part B).
Federal Minister for
Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny
Wong, and NSW Minister for Water, Phil Costa
jointly announced Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM)
as the successful tenderer.
Senator Wong said the
Part B project would refine six water savings
options identified under Part A last year
to ascertain which option or mix of options
achieved the biggest water savings in a
practical, cost-efficient manner.
"We've identified
six management options for the Menindee
Lakes that could save up to 180 billion
litres of water currently lost to evaporation,"
said Senator Wong.
"The Darling River
Water Savings Project is an important element
of Water for the Future - the Rudd Government's
long-term water plan which prioritises using
water wisely, securing our water supplies,
supporting healthy rivers and tackling climate
change."
Minister Costa said
the $1.3 million Darling River Water Savings
Project (Part B) is being equally funded
by the NSW and Australian governments.
"The next step
is to find out which options would be most
effective and to use this information to
develop a 20-year management plan, which
will form the blueprint for water management
in this area.
"Once recovered,
this water will be returned to the Murray-Darling
Basin to help maintain the health of the
Basin's rivers and wetlands.
"SKM will commence
Part B studies immediately, with a report
due back to Government by September 2009,"
he said.
Senator Wong also said
that the Menindee Lakes and the community
of Broken Hill would benefit from a further
Australian Government investigation into
a new water supply and storage option for
the city.
Senator Wong said the
investigation would look in detail at a
supply scheme for Broken Hill based on a
combination of groundwater extraction and
aquifer storage.
"Broken Hill currently
sources its drinking water from the Menindee
Lakes, located on the Darling River,"
Senator Wong said.
"An initial assessment
undertaken by Geoscience Australia indicates
great potential for a combination of groundwater
extraction and an aquifer storage system
to provide Broken Hill's water in the future."
The next investigation
will involve on-ground measurements and
preparations for an airborne electro-magnetics
study of the region's groundwater systems.
This work will commence shortly and is expected
to be completed by February 2009.
"The potential
use of aquifers could significantly reduce
the evaporation losses created by storing
the city's water supply in the Menindee
Lakes. This saved water can then be returned
to the lower Darling and the Murray rivers,"
Senator Wong said.
"If the next phase
determines the use of sustainable groundwater
resources and an aquifer storage system
is practicable, a project will be developed
to fully test this new approach."
Any such project will
complement the Darling River Water Savings
Project (Part B).
The Australian Government
has committed $400 million to reduce evaporation
and improve water efficiency at Menindee
Lakes, secure Broken Hill's water supply,
protect the local environment and heritage,
and return up to 200 gigalitres annually
to rivers and wetlands.
A copy of the Broken
Hill Groundwater Resource Assessment can
be found at: www.environment.gov.au
