Labor's SA Gas & Water Trust: Game-Changer for Local Energy

South Australian Labor Party Proposes New Trust for Gas and Water Management

The South Australian Labor Party has announced plans to establish a new SA Gas and Water Trust if they win the March election. This trust would oversee the government-owned SA Water corporation and the states Strategic Gas Reserve. The primary goal is to ensure local gas supplies for South Australian industries instead of exporting them.

SA Water, which manages the states water and sewerage networks, would be de-corporatised and integrated into the Trust. This includes significant projects like the five billion dollar Northern Water desalination plant. Labor aims to address housing shortages by coordinating water infrastructure for their target of thirteen thousand five hundred new homes annually.

Industry groups have expressed support for the proposal. The Urban Development Institute believes it could alleviate water bottlenecks hindering housing growth. The Property Council is optimistic but emphasizes the need for industry input to expedite home and industrial land construction.

The Trust would facilitate a new agreement securing twenty petajoules of gas per year from Santos, which could otherwise be exported. A task force would advise on the Trusts establishment, with legislation planned for the twenty twenty-six twenty-seven financial year. Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis describes it as a significant shift for local energy needs.

Concurrently, Greens leader Robert Simms unveiled a seven hundred million dollar plan to extend the Belair rail line to Mount Barker. This initiative promises trains every half hour to reduce congestion and emissions, addressing a gap in major party transport commitments.

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