Susan Close has announced she will ignore local expertise on a preferred site for a critical desalination plant on the Eyre Peninsula, instead selecting Billy Lights Point – a location that’s attracted significant concern from the seafood and aquaculture sector, local businesses and the community.
Susan Close’s decision is a kick in the guts for the Eyre Peninsula Desalination Plant Project Site Selection Committee (Committee) – that includes members from business, community leaders, fishing and aquaculture industries, local government and other key stakeholders – which handed down its recommendations seven months ago.
Through an openly transparent process the Committee spent a painstaking combined 3,000 hours deliberating to find an alternative site – at Sleaford West – which wouldn’t put at risk the local $200 million seafood and aquaculture industry.
“It’s very disappointing to hear that Susan Close, after seven months, has ignored a site that had the full support of community leaders, the seafood and aquaculture industries and the broader local community,” said Member for Flinders Sam Telfer.
“I really hope this isn’t politically motivated because water security for people and businesses is simply far too important over here.
“The previous Liberal Government had been the first to make any indication of advancing the project, with a $99 million announcement during the previous term.
“Capital costs should not be the only factor which is taken into account on such a decision, the cost of potential added risk to our community should be front-of-mind.”
Susan Close has stated that “the final decision on the plant by will be informed by a separate business case being prepared by Infrastructure SA into the Northern Water Supply project”.
Shadow Minister for Water Resources and the River Murray, Nicola Centofanti, said this “just adds further uncertainty and is an attempt to install false hope for the region”.
“The people of the Eyre Peninsula aren’t stupid – they see right through this decoy,” Dr Centofanti said.
“Susan Close’s blatant disregard for the work performed by local stakeholders and the community is incredibly disappointing.
“It is disgraceful to hear that Susan Close is more interested in flying over overseas – having taken three overseas trips since receiving the Committee’s advice (with one trip alone costing taxpayers $50,000) – rather than flying over to Canberra to advocate for Federal Government funding for the Sleaford West site.
“Incredibly, when questioned in Parliament Susan Close admitted she hadn’t even bothered to personally seek Federal Government funding for the project despite the Opposition calling for this for months.
“For the State’s Water Minister to dither on this matter for so long is, quite frankly, embarrassing and upsetting for the people on the Eyre Peninsula.”
Susan Close has used the excuse that it would cost more to locate the plant in the preferred site but has been unable to state precisely what that cost will be, with discrepancies appearing in her media release and radio interview today.