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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1339 asked in the Legislative Council on 6 December 2018 by Hon Diane Evers

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

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.