WATER CORPORATION — MANUKALIFE —
SHARE-FARMING AGREEMENT
1339. Hon DIANE EVERS to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the Water Corporation's
share-farming agreement with ManukaLife on land near Walpole for which the
Water Corporation will receive a share of revenue from the production of honey
products.
(1) Was there a public
process or tender for the use of the land; and, if so, can the minister please
table the details of the process, including the dates advertised, the number of
applicants and the uses proposed?
(2) If no to (1), how did the
share-farm agreement with ManukaLife transpire?
(3) Will the
minister explain how entering into a share-farm agreement for the production of
honey is in line with the agency's core business to sustainably manage Western
Australian water services?
(4) Will the
minister explain how the proposed use of ManukaLife is considered a more
suitable use than stock grazing, which is a compatible use of priority 2
catchment areas?
(5) Will the
minister describe how an introduced monoculture addresses the Water Corporation's
own water quality protection note 6, which refers to revegetation as diverse
and of local provenance native plants?
(6) Will the minister please table —
(a) the cost–benefit analysis
for the share-farm agreement; and, if not, why not; and
(b) a copy of the share-farm
agreement; and, if not, why not?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The following information has been provided by the Minister for Water.
(1) The Water
Corporation maintains an unsolicited proposal process. I table the attached
information, which sets out the guidelines for that process. The Water
Corporation received an unsolicited proposal from ManukaLife.
[See paper 2317.]
(2) Not applicable.
(3) The Water
Corporation acquired the parcels of land for the purpose of long-term
revegetating to ensure clean and safe drinking water sources into the future
for the town of Walpole. The share-farm agreement allows the Water Corporation
to —
(a) meet its objective of long-term
revegetation;
(b) meet its objective in a commercially
sound and cost-effective way;
(c) assist in the
development of a new industry for Western Australia, that being medicinal honey
products used for the treatment of burns to people and wounds suffered by
animals;
(d) support regional development; and
(e) contribute
further revenue to the state government from the proceeds of the share-farm
proposal.
(4) The review titled ''Walpole Weir
Catchment Area: Drinking water source protection review'', commissioned
in 2016 by the then Department of Water, recommended that the Water Corporation
investigate destocking the remainder of land under ownership to address water
quality risks from pathogens. Stock grazing, especially by cattle, is a significant
source of pathogens, including bacteria, cryptosporidium and giardia. Tree
farms, such as the one proposed by ManukaLife, are considered to be a minimal
source of pathogens. The ''Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 6: 2011''
states, ''The greatest risks to consumers of drinking water are
pathogenic microorganisms.'' The
preference is that the risks to water quality be reduced on Water Corporation
land regardless of the priority of the catchment area.
(5) The
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation's water quality
protection note 6 covers vegetation buffers to sensitive water resources. The
plantings proposed by the Water Corporation are not proposed for the purpose of
vegetation buffers; therefore, this protection note would not apply.
(6) (a)–(b)
The Water Corporation requires written approval of parties to an agreement
prior to publication of this agreement. The Water Corporation will consult with
the parties to the agreement regarding the release, or part thereof, of the
agreement. Subject to the approval being forthcoming, the Minister for Water
will provide this agreement to the member.
It was a long
answer.