COM: Port Stanvac Desalination Plant | 100gL | $1.8b

[Wayno]

Of interest to all - here in QLD they have JUST BUILT A FULL SIZED DESAL PLANT. Lo and behold - shut in 2 months - the reason....cutting corners to save expenses - poor quality valves are scaling up and impeding water supply.This is a disgusting and very expensive scenario to rectify. If we were still in the drought this would have finished us off as the recycled water plant was also suffering bad scaling and our natural water would all be gone except for the recent rains. Lots of chips being spat around.

One only hopes that the Adelaide plant is built properly - not cut short due to economic constraints.

who built the QLD desal plant?

[skyliner]

That I don't know - yet. Will have to find out.

ADELAIDE - CITY ON THE MOVE

[Cruise]

who built the QLD desal plant?

One of those dodgy builders you see on today tonight

[Wayno]

i saw an article in the newspaper a few days ago saying if we spent an exta $400,000 on the desal plant then we could remove all water restrictions and reduce our reliance on the murray to near zero (it was a quote from Rann).

Maybe we get the fed govt to use some of Zenophon's recent murray-darling water repurchase winnings to pay for it? adelaide suburbia is simply another water consumer, just like the farmers...

[crawf]

You mean $400m

It will be good if water restrictions are lifted

[Wayno]

You mean $400m

It will be good if water restrictions are lifted

yep - $400m, sorry

[Norman]

Desalination plant size will be doubled

A GO-AHEAD for the $170 million Seaford rail line will be a key boost for South Australia in the Federal Budget as Treasurer Wayne Swan unveils big-spending programs.

Southern commuters have been calling for years for faster, and more efficient, public transport for new growth areas. The latest move will extend the Noarlunga line by a further 7km to the Seaford shopping centre.

Another long-awaited proposal will be the decision to introduce 18 weeks paid parental leave from January, 2011, at a cost of $260 million a year.

Under the scheme, a primary carer will be paid at the adult federal minimum wage which is $543.78 a week while high-income earners – more than $150,000 a year – will not be eligible.

The Advertiser also understands that funding of several hundred million dollars will be earmarked for a high-end medical facility at the new $1.7 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital. The facility – expected to focus on cancer research – is designed to become one of Australia's best resourced medical research facilities.

New infrastructure spending will include up to $400 million to double the capacity of the Port Stanvac desalination plant to 100 gigalitres a year. Money will also be provided to bring forward the upgrading and eventual electrification of the Gawler rail line to 2012.

But the good news has been tempered by a warning SA will be hit by further cuts in GST revenue which will see the State Budget deficit hit $500 million.

Treasurer Kevin Foley said yesterday it would make it "very, very difficult" to deliver tax cuts in the June 4 Budget.

He warned that as a result of revenue losses of around $1 billion a year, the state would remain in deficit for at least four years.

He said the state would not cut back on any of its infrastructure spending.

The Seaford rail extension was at the top of the State Government's wishlist for money from the Infrastructure Australia fund.

Construction of the line from Noarlunga to Seaford, which includes a bridge across the Onkaparinga River, is likely to start next year.

Onkaparinga mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said extending the Seaford line would be "bloody marvellous". "It's been a long time coming and there has been a lot of talk about it," she said.

"Seaford is a good compromise in the short-term while extending it to Aldinga is a very long-term option."

Noarlunga resident Ian Jenkins said it would be "a great idea". "It will save many people driving to the current stop and then catching the train," he said.

There has been increasing speculation since last week the state's share of the infrastructure fund would be less than that of most other states. The size of the fund, originally standing at $20 billion, has shrunk to $8 billion and reports suggest the bulk will go to NSW, Victoria and Queensland. That was rejected yesterday by both Premier Mike Rann and Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon.

Mr Rann said commentators interstate had predicted "they would win submarines and other things".

"I think I have a much better idea what's in the Infrastructure Australia decision than people in Sydney and Melbourne," he said. "You will just have to wait and see."

Mr Conlon has been heavily involved in negotiations with the Commonwealth Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese on the funding.

He has also dismissed suggestions other states would win the lion's share of the fund.

There was also a warning from economic forecasters Access Economics that massive government spending in the boom times meant the Federal Budget would be "deep in deficit" well after the global financial crisis had disappeared.

In a new report to be released today called Deficits as far as the eye can see, Access Economics director Chris Richardson says the revenue hole left by the end of the resources boom is worse than many people think.

Dr Richardson said structural weaknesses in Commonwealth revenues had been masked for years by the massive inflow of money from company profits and capital gains. This had allowed successive governments to hand out billions in so-called middle-class welfare, paid for by these rivers of gold.

[peas_and_corn]

I am very happy with this funding. From the get-go I have been very reluctant to back the desal plant all the way because its capacity didn't seem to be enough to account for future population growth. 100GL is a far better capacity and will help incredibly, so I'm a bit happier with this desal plant. Perhaps Rann planned a smaller desal plant with the hope that the federal government will pick up some of the tab, as they have done? If the federal government decided to not provide the money, would the Rann government have just sighed and ponied up the extra cash?

[deano91]

I think I remember hearing somewhere, and I'm not sure if my brain is just making this up, but I thought someone a while back on the tv or radio or something said that doubling the size of the desal plant should mean that we should not need to rely on the Murray at all? Anyone have any idea if this is true?

[peas_and_corn]

I remember hearing that as well, but I'm not sure if it's true or hyperbole. The northern suburb plan to recycle stormwater will help with this goal as well

[loud]

I think I remember hearing somewhere, and I'm not sure if my brain is just making this up, but I thought someone a while back on the tv or radio or something said that doubling the size of the desal plant should mean that we should not need to rely on the Murray at all? Anyone have any idea if this is true?

Rann mentioned something about it, and that we would be able to drop the water restriction policy. I for one, do not believe that we should cancel water restrictions...

Sure, slacken them a bit so people can wash their cars again and maybe increase the amount of time we are allowed to water our gardens, etc... but to remove them completely is how we got in this mess in the first place.

[deano91]

I think I remember hearing somewhere, and I'm not sure if my brain is just making this up, but I thought someone a while back on the tv or radio or something said that doubling the size of the desal plant should mean that we should not need to rely on the Murray at all? Anyone have any idea if this is true?

[Cruise]

I think I remember hearing somewhere, and I'm not sure if my brain is just making this up, but I thought someone a while back on the tv or radio or something said that doubling the size of the desal plant should mean that we should not need to rely on the Murray at all? Anyone have any idea if this is true?

Rann mentioned something about it, and that we would be able to drop the water restriction policy. I for one, do not believe that we should cancel water restrictions...

Sure, slacken them a bit so people can wash their cars again and maybe increase the amount of time we are allowed to water our gardens, etc... but to remove them completely is how we got in this mess in the first place.

I pay the water bill, so i'll do whatever the hell i want with it.

[Wayno]

An expanded desal plant will supply 50% of our water needs - which is how much we draw from the murray today. The other 50% is supplied by Adelaide Hills catchment (yes, even in these drought years).

Of course this is based on today. Expand our population by 25+% (and remove water restrictions) and we'll be feeding from the teat of the murray again, unless the drought breaks AND we build much larger storage dams AND/OR get serious about wetlands and recycled water usage.

Careful Cruise, you might get what you ask for. Using water for 'what the hell i want' is not sensible and shows a serious lack of understanding. Water is a rare commodity - and will be priced accordingly unless we treat it with respect.

[loud]

I think I remember hearing somewhere, and I'm not sure if my brain is just making this up, but I thought someone a while back on the tv or radio or something said that doubling the size of the desal plant should mean that we should not need to rely on the Murray at all? Anyone have any idea if this is true?

Rann mentioned something about it, and that we would be able to drop the water restriction policy. I for one, do not believe that we should cancel water restrictions...

Sure, slacken them a bit so people can wash their cars again and maybe increase the amount of time we are allowed to water our gardens, etc... but to remove them completely is how we got in this mess in the first place.

I pay the water bill, so i'll do whatever the hell i want with it.

That has to be the single most ignorant thing I have read in quite some time. It is people with attitudes like your's that will also be the first to complain when they can't get access to clean drinking water 7 days a week...