A Select Committee of the Legislative Council has been established to inquire into and report on -
(a) The role of SA Water in supporting water conservation and water security in South Australia.
(b) The impact of the Government’s financial policies on the ability of SA Water to -
i. maintain and develop infrastructure;
ii. provide essential new supply capabilities;
iii. meet projected water demands; and
iv. provide network augmentation.
(c) The role and effectiveness of SA Water in relation to water security and water conservation measures and including -
i. the efficacy of water restrictions;
ii. SA Water’s response to the 2005 “Waterproofing Adelaide” Strategy; and
iii. education of water users and advice on water conservation measures.
(d) Opportunities to reform SA Water governance to assist in water conservation and water security, and in particular -
i. a review of relevant State legislation with respect to SA Water’s functions, structure and accountability, including a review of SA Water’s charter; and
ii. a review of SA Water’s performance statements from Government.
(e) Legislative and policy changes to address current impediments to water conservation and water recycling.
i. water pricing; and
ii. incentives for installation of water efficient technology devices;
(f) Leakage of water from SA Water infrastructure, especially -
i. the accuracy of measurement and report of leakage; and
ii. a review of SA Water Strategy to address wastage through leakage.
(g) SA Water policy on alternative sourcing of potable water supplies, including engagement with the private sector; and
(h) Methodologies to ensure access to water for people on low incomes;
(i) The impact of development in the urban water catchments on the quality of the water available to the metropolitan area;
(j) Replacement of the water restriction regime with a household allocation based on occupancy and quarterly meter readings to allow citizens to choose where and how they use their water;
(k) The prescription of the quaternary aquifer beneath Adelaide with the inclusion of domestic bore extraction within the household allocation, whilst continuing to exclude water sourced from rainwater tanks to encourage the uptake of domestic rainwater collection systems;
(l) Changing the water pricing structure by increasing the volumetric costs and reducing other charges to provide more incentive for water users to reduce their demand.
(m) Any other matters.