Water policy
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:30): (979) My question is to the Minister for Water, although if I am asking the wrong minister, I request that she refer it accordingly. The Age recently reported that Greater Western Water is currently assessing applications for 19 new data centres in Melbourne’s western suburbs. These centres would consume around 20 gigalitres of fresh water a year, which is equivalent to a 4 per cent increase in Melbourne’s total usage of potable drinking water. With population growth, climate change and increasing industrial demand, Melbourne faces the very real prospect of serious water shortages unless regulation, minimum water use and conservation standards are applied to industries such as data centres. No such environmental standards exist in Victoria. So I ask: what is the minister doing to introduce water conservation and sustainability standards for data centres?
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:31): I thank the member for the question. It is a very good question, and it is a question that was posed at PAEC and in a number of other places as well. I am also mindful of the fact that everyone that is involved in the water sector understands the importance of water and the limitations in terms of rainfall that we have seen over recent times, and whilst we have had some rain also in the last five weeks or so, the fact of the matter is that we are still on that line of making sure that we do everything to avoid water restrictions and the continuation of drought. The issue of run-off is a significant one – the lack thereof.
So the question you ask is timely, and it is very current in terms of it being at the forefront of people’s minds. But what I can say is that in terms of data centres, they are important, they do attract jobs and they are obviously part and parcel of the advancement of technology. But with anything that has got something connected to vital resources, there is always the importance of having some balance in all of this. The water corporations and the Essential Services Commission are engaging with data centres early to understand what their infrastructure needs are, and this includes, where possible, exploring the option of recycled water use and stormwater use. I am very pleased to see that DEECA and the Essential Services Commission are proactively exploring policy that will secure our water needs while keeping pace with industry growth and innovation. So there is work that is being done.
Also, particularly large industrial users – we are encouraging them to actively pursue options in relation to stormwater or wastewater in respect to their operation, because at the end of the day, drinking water is absolutely paramount to all Victorians. The process and the procedures that are put in place in terms of applications that are received are vigorous to ensure that what we do is make sure that we have sufficient water in all activities within the water sector.
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:33): Thank you, Minister, for that reply. Likewise a waste-to-energy incinerator is being proposed for Sunbury which, apart from spewing a range of toxins across the Sunbury community, will consume around 180,000 litres of water – fresh drinking water – seven days a week, 365 days a year. Will the minister intervene to ensure that appropriate and comprehensive water sustainability and conservation measures apply to the Sunbury incinerator? Because at this point in time, that is not part of the framework.
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:34): What I do in terms of all of my conversations, whether it be with the department or indeed people who are wanting to introduce different proposals, is encourage them to put proposals to government and departments that are based on alternatives to drinking water. I am sure that the proponents in this case have been encouraged to do so. I personally have not had any interactions – no-one has approached me – in respect to this, but I am sure that there have been some other ministers that have been dealing with this issue on an ongoing basis.