Page 999 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Such dry times will come again, as we are reminded by Mackellar’s lyric description of our great nation. Let me run briefly through the recent time line on the dam’s progress for members. On 16 December last year Mr Sullivan advised the public accounts committee that the budget and schedule for the completion of the enlarged Cotter Dam were being reviewed. He undertook that after the information had been presented to the board he intended to brief all interested parties and make the information public.
Mr Sullivan gave a similar commitment during an interview on ABC radio on 2 February this year in which he indicated that a detailed report would be provided to the Actew board by the end of February 2012. The voting shareholders would also be informed at that point. That board meeting was scheduled for 4 March, but by the time the board met heavy rain had also significantly impacted the project. The project costs, among other issues, needed to be fully and carefully reconsidered. Anyone who questions that this is a reasonable and sensible approach need only consider the footage on dam cam of the gigalitres of water that were rushing over the top of the wall.
I am advised that Actew is working towards providing a full assessment of the revised schedule and budget incorporating damage caused by the recent flood. I am advised that, although there has been no structural damage to the dam wall, it is necessary to examine all machinery, equipment and temporary structures, and carry out any necessary repairs. The water stopped going over the wall of the new dam on 13 March. It has taken several more days for it to recede to a safe level below the new dam wall. This will now allow safe access to the site. It will take several more weeks to carry out a detailed assessment of the damage.
A report is being compiled quantifying the impact on both the budget cost and the project schedule. However, it will be some weeks before an accurate costing of the impacts of the flood can be completed. Actew needs to complete the damage assessment and review the work required to complete the dam. Depending on future rainfall patterns and the time taken to carry out any remediation work to ensure the site is safe, it is possible that the construction of the dam may be delayed for several months.
However, it would not be useful to speculate today, nor deal with incomplete information. The shareholders have been briefed by Actew after the recent rains and accept the board’s advice that an appropriate time is needed to fully consider the impact of the flood. The voting shareholders have also been kept regularly informed of progress with these issues and will continue to be updated as the way ahead becomes clearer.
For the information of members, the current approved project cost for the new dam is $363 million, which was set in September 2009. Expenditure on the dam up to the end of February 2012 was $315.7 million. However, the latter parts of the motion put by Mrs Dunne calling for reports of remarkable frequency would serve little purpose, as it is unlikely there will be major updates about the construction of the dam over such short periods.
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