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23 Aug 2005 Plumbing and Drainage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2611 PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL Second Reading Resumed from 9 August 2005 (see p. 2206). Mr MALONE (Mirani—NPA) (5.02 pm): It is with some pleasure that I rise to speak on the Plumbing and Drainage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2005. This bill is a step in the right direction. I would contend that it is probably not a big enough step, but it certainly moves the legislation in the direction in which it must go in the next few years. As the Premier said in this House this morning, Queensland is probably facing one of its driest periods in 100 years. The requirement for householders to save water is becoming urgent. Indeed, the sustainability of cities on the Queensland coast remains in doubt while we are unable to supply a sustainable water supply. One of the ways in which we can overcome that is with this type of legislation. However, the opposition contends that it probably does not go far enough. We should also consider issues such as a subsidy on rainwater tanks, et cetera, which can actually have a big impact and allow our cities to supply their own water to a certain extent. The primary reason for the bill is to provide a legislative framework for the use of household grey water to water gardens in sewered areas. Previously, all grey water generated in sewered areas had to be discharged into a sewer. That has been the case for a long time. As I said, the drought conditions across Queensland have generated a great deal of interest in other options for water conservation and reuse. The grey water provisions in this bill provide a framework for the use of grey water in urban settings, with sensible constraints that manage any potential public health and environmental impacts. The objectives of the bill are achieved by the amendment of a number of existing approval, enforcement and offence provisions to include provisions for on-site sewerage facilities, and the introduction of a new provision which allows local governments to approve grey water use systems in sewered areas. It is important that local governments control this. I would contend that some of the enforcement provisions are a bit over the top. For example, once enforcement officers gain access to a property they have extended powers. We are seeing more and more of this written into the legislation of this government. However, in the context of this bill, I do not see a real problem with it but from the point of view of local government it puts an extra onus on their obligations to the general community. The bill includes the introduction of new provisions, including offence provisions to place sensible constraints on the use of grey water and to manage potential impacts on public health and the environment. It amends the PDA to address and clarify some issues, including providing investigative and disciplinary powers for the Plumbers and Drainers Board to investigate complaints against plumbers, clarifying some definitions and addressing other minor legislative matters. It amends the Water Act so that it is not illegal to use grey water to irrigate garden and sewered areas. It also amends the Local Government Act so that it is clear that all fees charged under the PDA are regulatory fees and must only cover the cost to the local government of providing the service. I would like to speak briefly on some of the provisos and the reason for the legislation. I think most members of parliament would be well aware of them. By way of background, it has been reported that Australians consume more water than any other people across the world. Indeed, for example, in May 2005, the Brisbane City Council estimated that Brisbane residents and businesses drew around 525 million litres of water daily from the Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams. The extent of this usage will soon present a problem for Queensland because its annual rainfall is about 10 per cent lower—and that is probably a conservative estimate—than 30 years ago. Adding to the problem is the fact that around 40 per cent of good quality drinking water is used on the garden rather than for drinking. Significant population growth in recent years has added a new pressure. Brisbane residents and Queenslanders in a number of regional areas are already facing water restrictions. Obviously, that is happening right across the state. In regional centres there has been a history of poor rainfall in recent years and a subsequent fall in dam water levels. Again, that has been highlighted in parliament today. In general, there has been a renewed interest in recycling, rainwater tanks and the reuse of grey water for irrigating gardens. The issue is very topical. Indeed, the opposition supports the legislation wholeheartedly. However, it would like further incentives put in place to allow for support of people who wish to do this. As most members realise, to retrofit a system which allows the use of grey water to a greater extent in established homes would be almost impossible and the cost would be unmanageable. The only way that this legislation will have any great impact is in new homes, where it is estimated that it will probably cost around $1,600 to $2,000 to fit the system. What we are talking about is a system that will probably only be used in homes being built and possibly homes with suspended floors such as two-storey houses or high blocked houses. It would be almost impossible to do for houses built on a pad. They would have to destroy some of the flooring to
2612 Plumbing and Drainage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 23 Aug 2005 get to the pipes that are actually embedded in the concrete under the floor and separate the water pipes from the sewerage system. There are constraints on this. We would contend that to make this effective there needs to be some sort of subsidy. I will look at the situation in other states. I am sure the minister has done this. In South Australia the reuse of grey water for underground or above-ground disposal is permitted and grey water reuse is referred to as an alternative on-site waste water system which is not covered under the existing codes. With individual assessment and approval from relevant authorities a grey water reuse system may be used. In South Australia there is an opportunity to use the system without any provision for licensing et cetera. Most other states have a similar situation. In Western Australia the reuse of grey water is permitted if it is in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements. A rebate of up to $500 or 50 per cent of the purchase and installation cost, whichever is the lesser, is available for approved grey water reuse systems installed by a licensed plumber. In Western Australia there has been a real move towards this. Western Australia is one state that is probably slightly ahead of us in having to deal with the dry conditions that we are currently experiencing across Australia. I refer to the Hansard of Estimates Committee D of 2004. I asked the minister— In relation to your government’s recent commitment to legislate to allow grey water to be used to water gardens via an underground irrigation system, will your department be providing councils with any funding to provide training to officers for the application of this legislation? Will householders be able to apply for a subsidy to install a grey water system as is the case in Victoria ... I obviously got that wrong. The minister indicated— ... that it is appropriate that the government encourage those systems to go in despite the cost. How we might do that and whether through some kind of rebate system is not to my knowledge decided at this point. In 2004 the government was looking very closely at this. The opposition commended the government for this. I stress that in the short term we need to be looking at substantial increases in activity in using grey water and conserving the water that runs off our roofs. This would help support the amount of water that we are using in our communities. I would think that in the future in the more enlightened subdivisions we might see a two-pipe system whereby potable water is distributed to the housing estate and the grey water is used for the irrigation of parks and gardens et cetera in the estate. I actually saw an estate in Western Australia where that method was being used. All the water that ran off in that estate was collected in storage tanks and distributed across the estate over a 12-month period. There was a dam that they were able to pump water into and take water out of whenever they needed it. The opposition contends that this is the start of a long journey. We support the government in this move. We would encourage the government to go further and move quicker in terms of conserving water in Queensland. Ms MOLLOY (Noosa—ALP) (5.14 pm): The Queensland government, in response to nature’s hiccup of drought, has come up with a solution to ease the burden of garden irrigation in urban areas. The Plumbing and Drainage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2005 will amend the Water Act 2000 to provide a framework in which local government will approve and monitor grey water use. This bill will also make approval processes for on-site sewerage work the same as for any other plumbing and drainage work, thus ensuring the same accountability standards apply to all work. The Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 will be amended to provide the Plumbers and Drainers Board with investigative and disciplinary powers to respond to complaints against plumbers, ensuring better consumer protection from less-than-satisfactory plumbing services. I want to speak on this great leap into the world of grey water. The Plumbing and Drainage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill is introducing new provisions to allow local government to approve household grey water use in sewered areas. Previously all grey water in sewered areas had to be flushed down the toilet—that is, discharged to the sewer. Not all grey water has been found to be harmful to the environment or public health. Upon consultation with many state agencies and other key stakeholder groups, the Beattie government has defined grey water as a viable option for water conservation and reuse that will improve garden irrigation in urban settings. Obviously, constraints will be placed on grey water usage to protect public health and the environment. The bill provides a framework in which local government can approve grey water use. Grey water use will be limited to premises that use less than 3,000 litres per day. To give an indication of how much 3,000 litres is, an average washing machine uses approximately 150 litres per load. I have heard of households that water their gardens with their laundry water and have been told of the beautiful condition their gardens are in year round. I believe that the Beattie government has shown great foresight in planning for future water resource restrictions and curbing the conditions that drought brings to Queensland. Noosa is lucky as it is renowned to be located in what is known as the green belt. We rarely seem to encounter drought to the same extent as other areas. But to other urban areas where every drop is precious it will be a great gift of the Beattie government to amend the Plumbing and Drainage Act to allow households to water their gardens with grey water. I am sure that there will be many gardeners applauding the efforts of the government. I commend the bill to the House.
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PROOF ISSN 1322-0330 WEEKLY HANSARD
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Table of Contents — Tuesday, 23 A
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2536 Papers 23 Aug 2005 PAPERS PAPE
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2538 Ministerial Statement 23 Aug 2
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2550 Scrutiny of Legislation Commit
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2552 Private Members’ Statements
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2554 Questions Without Notice 23 Au
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Page 33 and 34: 2564 Members’ Ethics and Parliame
Page 35 and 36: 2566 Matters of Public Interest 23
Page 45 and 46: 2576 Constitutional and Other Legis
Page 47 and 48: 2578 Transport Legislation Amendmen
Page 49 and 50: 2580 Transport Legislation Amendmen
Page 51 and 52: 2582 Housing Legislation Amendment
Page 53 and 54: 2584 Education (Queensland College
Page 55 and 56: 2586 Succession Amendment Bill 23 A
Page 57 and 58: 2588 Succession Amendment Bill 23 A
Page 59 and 60: 2590 Queensland Competition Authori
Page 69 and 70: 2600 Racing Venues Development Amen
Page 79: 2610 Racing Venues Development Amen
Page 83 and 84: 2614 Plumbing and Drainage and Othe
Page 99 and 100: 2630 Child Safety Legislation Amend
Page 111 and 112: 2642 Adjournment 23 Aug 2005 One pa
Page 113 and 114: 2644 Adjournment 23 Aug 2005 years.
Page 115: 2646 Adjournment 23 Aug 2005 Finall
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weekly hansard - Queensland Parliament - Queensland Government

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