Joint media release: Delivering more water for South Australia’s environment

The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water
Louise Miller Frost MP, Member for Boothby

The Federal and South Australian Labor governments today announced the completion of a $5.6 million water pipeline extension in the City of Marion, South Australia.

The pipeline extension is the first of the Federal Government’s Off-farm Efficiency Program projects to be completed, providing crucial water for the environment.

As a result of this project, Marion Water will use an additional 143.49 megalitres of recycled water to irrigate more than 40 reserves, parks and facilities across the south of Adelaide, with 13 kilometres of additional pipeline running along the Field River.

The project was funded by the City of Marion and a $2.703 million investment from the Federal Government’s Off-farm Efficiency Program, which was crucial to the success of the project.

The program helps Murray–Darling Basin state and territory governments to invest in infrastructure and provide water for the environment, maintaining fragile ecosystems that are home to some of Australia’s most precious native species.

Investing in water use efficiencies and infrastructure enables water recovered to contribute towards the Basin Plan and benefits community and the environment.

Projects funded under the program will contribute to the long-term health of the River Murray. This project reduces the reliance on River Murray water in urban Adelaide and provides urban greening and cooling benefits for the local community.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“Infrastructure projects like the Marion Water Efficiency Project help water users, the environment and the wider community.

“The Federal Government is committed to getting the Murray–Darling Basin Plan back on track, and Off-farm Efficiency Program projects are an important tool we can use to recover 450 GL of additional water we need for the environment.

“Now that the Restoring Our Rivers Act has commenced, we’re getting straight to work.

“We’ve put more time, more funding, more options and more accountability on the table. And we’ve started straight away by giving participating governments the opportunity to bring forward new water saving projects through the Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program. The reality is the more of these projects we can fund, the less water we will need to purchase.”

Quotes attributable to the Member for Boothby, Louise Miller-Frost:

“The Marion Water Efficiency Project will allow more of our crucial reserves, parks and facilities to be better supported by our water systems.

“Our communities need to feel safe and secure in the face of potential drought, and I’m delighted to see the Federal Government delivering the necessary measures to make this happen.

“Green spaces are such an important part of our lifestyle here in Boothby, and I am pleased to see this project using recycled water to ensure these important recreational spaces remain usable all year round.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Minister Plibersek in the Federal Government as I advocate for Boothby.”