The following is an extract from the Victorian Hansard, July 29, 2009:

"Water: government performance:

Ms ASHER (Brighton) — I urge the Victorian government, particularly the Minister for Water, to look at South Australia’s recent water policy, released in June 2009, for some ideas, seeing as it has none. In South Australia there is a commitment to increased recycling and increased stormwater harvesting. This is in comparison to Victoria, which has now abandoned its recycling commitments. The government has done a complete about-face on water policy since the 2006 state election.

In 2006 it called desalination a hoax, it said it would never take water from north of the Great Dividing Range and it promised full use of recycled water for the eastern treatment plant. All of these positions have now been reversed. In particular, I urge the Minister for Water to have a look at the South Australian document, and I refer him to page 20 of that document where the South Australians have made the following commitment:

By 2013, we will be capable of harvesting 20 gigalitres per annum for non-drinking purposes in Greater Adelaide … The document also goes on to say: We will have the capability by 2013 to recycle 45 per cent of wastewater from urban areas across the state …

This increased target for recycling is completely in line with the government-dominated Environment and Natural Resources Committee, which also recommended increased recycling targets to the government.I urge the government to look at its own committee, to look at South Australia and increase water recycling targets."

Sadly, the true commitment of the SA government to meet these worthy targets must be in great doubt, as it appears to be totally fixated on the construction of its desalination plant, which the Rann government still perceives as a golden bullet, while most independent experts condemn it as an environmental and financial blunder of the highest order.