In the Australian state of South Australia, government-set water charges will rise substantially to cover the cost of a new de-salination plant. The state capital city, Adelaide, is almost wholly dependant on water from the River Murray, a resource they share with irrigation-based farmers further up the river. A record $2.1 billion will be provided over four years for a range of initiatives to secure South Australia's water supplies. Adelaide's desalination plant, stormwater harvesting, treated wastewater recycling and infrastructure upgrades all received money from the Budget. Work to protect and improve the health of the River Murray will also receive almost $260 million.
State Premier Mike Rann said the "heart of this Budget is water ... and the heart of that is the desalination plant". State Treasurer Kevin Foley said the investment would give certainty that the state would not run out of water during severe droughts. "There is a huge amount of construction on water infrastructure projects occurring all over Adelaide – not in years to come, it is happening right now," he said. Mr Foley expects about 2000 jobs in the construction industry will be supported by the investment in water security.
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