Page 636 - Week 02 - Thursday, 9 March 2006
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The breakage rate is heavily dependent on system age and soil moisture conditions. The drought in Canberra in recent times has pushed the break rate higher than in earlier years, but our water mains break rate of 23.8 per 100 km in 2004-05 still compares favourably with other major Australian cities: Brisbane Water 40 per 100 km, Hunter Water 42.2 per 100 km, Sydney Water 37.8 per 100 km and SA Water (Adelaide) 24.6 per 100 km.
ACTEW is currently funding a leakage management project in the South Canberra area where pipes are older. This project, once completed, will enable system flows to be monitored continuously, allowing leakage, which could be a precursor to a mains failure, to be investigated.
(5) ActewAGL estimates losses due to burst pipes at 50 to 100 million litres per year, or less than 1% of Canberra’s average annual consumption. This is extremely low compared with other Australian cities.
The cost of repairs is included in the total maintenance budget of $8 million for the Water Network in 2005-06 set by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. ActewAGL’s professional opinion is that it could not cost-efficiently make a significant reduction in the number of pipe bursts.
(6) The costs will be incurred by ActewAGL, not the Government. Clear figures will take some time to emerge but depending on insurance outcomes, the upper limit figure should be around $300,000.
(7) ActewAGL has no planned water main replacement program at present. As the pipe burst comparative figures indicate, the ACT water network is in better condition than networks in capital cities generally. There is no section of the network that has been identified as requiring replacement at this time.
Community Inclusion Board
(Question No 874)
Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 14 February 2006:
How many people with Indigenous heritage currently hold positions on the ACT Government’s Community Inclusion Board.
Mr Stanhope: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) No current members of the Community Inclusion Board have identified as being of Indigenous heritage.
Public service—indigenous officers
(Question No 875)
Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 14 February 2006:
(1) How many positions in the Chief Minister’s Department above the SOG C level are filled by Indigenous people;
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .