Six years on, Adelaide’s $23m stormwater harvest plan gets nod. Now for the rewards?
A $23m plan to harvest stormwater across Adelaide’s east is finally set to happen six years after it was first mooted. Here’s where it will end up.
A LONG-awaited, $23 million project to harvest eastern suburbs stormwater will go ahead after two councils, vital to its adoption, voted to join the scheme first mooted six years ago.
Norwood, Payneham & St Peters and Walkerville councils have agreed to join Burnside Council in forming a subsidiary to provide 540 megalitres of water a year for local parks, schools and businesses.
The subsidiary, to be known as ERA Water, will borrow $12 million for the project, which entails building a wetland at Felixstow Reserve to collect stormwater, returning it to the eastern suburbs through 46km of pipes.
The future of the Eastern Region Stormwater Harvesting and Re-Use Project (also known as Waterproofing Eastern Adelaide) was thrown into doubt early this year when two councils turned their backs on it.
The project, originally costed at $30m, aims to provide participating councils with recycled stormwater for irrigating local reserves.
In addition to the councils’ contributions, funding will also come from the Federal Government — contributing $9.5 million — and the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board, contributing $2 million.
Each council will own a third of the new company, to profit by selling the water at 80 per cent of the SA Water price to schools, businesses and nearby councils, such as Prospect and Port Adelaide Enfield.
Norwood, Payneham & St Peters councillor Kevin Duke had argued the scheme, wanting his council to instead look at smaller local projects within the council’s boundaries.
“This is a high-risk area and something we must be aware of in using our residents’ money in taking this big gamble,” Cr Duke told the meeting.
A revised motion to join the scheme was passed that dictates councils take at least 214 megalitres of water and must give two years’ notice to leave it.
“This will discourage nervous nellies from leaving, and leaving other councils holding the baby,” Cr John Frogley said.
Walkerville Council — which has supported the project since its inception in February 2009 — also voted to proceed with the project.
Cr Graham Webster said risks associated with the project should be identified and monitored regularly.
“This project certainly has an outstanding environmental benefit … which, in my view, outweighs the economic risks we are taking, provided that we ensure management of this project is continually focused on risk mitigation measures,” Cr Webster said.
“This is on three councils to make sure we roll up our sleeves and work very hard to make sure this makes it way through.
“It’s time to push this thing forward (and Walkerville Council should) be a very strong partner in this . (we) have a very significant part to play.”
Burnside Council voted to join the scheme three weeks ago but Tea Tree Gully and Campbelltown councils opted out of the program in March.
Work on the project is to start immediately and is due to be finished by December next year.