[Wednesday, 10 November 1982] 424923 over the Perch metropolitan area must take into account many factors in calculating equitable charges. Dozens of possible combinations of ser- Wednesday, 10 November 1982 vice charges and allowance and usage charges are applicable. The PRESIDENT (the Hon. Clive Griffiths) The charges based on valuations levied after took the Chair at 4.30 p.m., and read prayers. the general valuation of 1980 highlighted several existing inequities, and -as a result the Minister QUESTIONS formed a working party to share the task of Questions were taken at this stage. finding fair and reasonable ways of making charges. Studies by the working party and the authority METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY, are continuing. This Bill provides flexi- bility to implement acceptable SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE findings. AMENDMENT BILL (No. 3) The authority has a responsibility to advise the Minister as to the aggregate charges tailored to Receipt and First Reading the revenue requirements necessary to meet the Bill received from the Assembly; and, on needs of providing water services. motion by the Hon. G, E. Masters (Minister for In the past the Minister and the Cabinet have Labour and Industry), read a First time. accepted the responsibility of setting the aggre- gate amounts of charges levied. This process will Second Reading continue, but the Bill provides that this be flexible THE HON. C. E. MASTERS (West-Minister by the use of regulations required to be approved for Labour and Industry) [5.07 p.m.]: I move- by the Governor. That the Bill be now read a second time. The remainder of this Bill makes necessary While this Bill relates to the Metropolitan Water legislative provisions to take into account the Authority Amendment Bill in respect of drainage improvements in legislation relating to water ser- it also contains an important feature concerning vices provided under the amendments contained rating. in the Metropolitan Water Authority Bill. There- fore, the Bill repeals the drainage provisions of In that regard the Bill makes provision fur new the principal Act. methods of rating which will provide additional It is sufficient to say here that the whole matter flexibility in setting levels of rating and charging of drainage is one of the most inadequate features to take into account the requirements of the com- of the existing Act, unsatisfactory both- to the munity. This is done by means of regulations Metropolitan Water Authority and to local made by the Governor, on the recommendation of authorities alike. The proposals contained in two the Minister after the Minister has had consul- Bills before the House are the result of long dis- tation with the authority. cussions with local authorities as well as an analy- Methods of making fair and reasonable charges sis of the role of the authority itself. for water services have been studied extensively In a piece of legislation as complex as the prin- and studies currently are being made here in cipal Act, which this Bill is to amend, there are Western Australia. The charges obviously must what might be called inherited problems of legis- be set at such levels that the authority has enough lation which must be very carefully reviewed to income to provide the water services that the com- make certain that a change in one portion does munity expects and is willing to pay for. not make another portion inconsistent. That is the For the average domestic consumer, the way in major reason that drafting to modernise this legis- which the amount of his water services bill is cal- lation has taken longer than had been hoped. culated is relatively simple. It appears the Perth As an example of the problems the principal community now generally accepts the principle of Act caused, members are referred to the proposal paying for both services and use of its domestic for the definition of "drain" to be replaced with a water supply. It is a fair and equitable arrange- new term "property sewer". It is well known to ment, and with the introduction earlier this year everyone what is meant by a drain. It is simply a of the flexible methods of payment of bills and way to carry off surplus water such as after heavy billing of the owner rather than the occupier rain. But in the year of 1909, when the principal further advantages result. Act was formulated, a drain was a way to carry It now may be generally appreciated that the sewage, which by definition could include faecal supply of services of water, sewerage and drainage matter, urine, and liquid wastes, whether dom- 4924 4924[COUNCIL] estic or otherwise. That definition of "drain" con- amendment is to define a drain as simply some- tinued in the present legislation until this day. thing that is used to carry away surplus water This Bill provides the opportunity to bring the rather than confusing the term with sewage dis- situation up to date by making the distinction be- posal as it has been used since the 1909 legislation tween a property sewer as defined in this Bill and was originally enacted. a drain as defined anew in the companion legis- At present, many other major aspects of drain- lation. age are either not dealt with or are dealt with It is interesting to note that the words "drain", inadequately in the Metropolitan Water Supply, "drains", or "drainage", occur about 200 times in Sewerage, and Drainage Act. Consequently, in the principal Act. They occur in many different the companion Bill, the part dealing with drain- sections and also with different meanings from age is to be repealed and associated changes are our present meaning. Therefore, we cannot simply proposed to other sections. This provides the op- amend the word "drain" and hope that all the 200 portunity for a completely new and comprehen- uses of it fit the amendment. Instead, we must sive approach to drainage. have a careful analysis of the present laws and the An arterial drainage scheme is to be prepared desired laws, and this must take time to ac- in consultation with local councils and appropri- complish. ate authorities. As the name implies, this arterial I point out that a companion Bill which seeks to drainage scheme or plan is intended to show, in amend the Metropolitan Water Authority Act is time, the lines of arterial drains that thread to follow, and I will seek to have it discussed con- through the metropolitan area. It will include currently with this Bill at the second reading drainage catchments, lakes, swamps, wetlands, stage. rivers and streams, existing and proposed drains, I commend the Bill to the House. as well as lands that will benefit from drainage and that contribute to the need for drainage, and Debate adjourned, on motion by the Hon. the existing and the proposed drainage system. Robert Hetherington. The arterial drainage plan may be thought of METROPOLITAN WATER AUTHORITY as a set of maps which show, for the metropolitan area, the general way the drainage works nat- AMENDMENT HILL urally and with man-made drains. It is not in any Receipt and First Reading way a statutory scheme in the sense of a town Bill received from the Assembly; and, on planning scheme. In fact, a great deal of the suc- motion by the Hon. G. E. Masters (Minister for cess of the plan will come from the fact that the Labour and Industry), read a first time. authority can work with local authorities, poten- tial and actual developers, private landowners, Second Reading and town planning, environmental, and other bodies in planning what the drainage system THE HION. C. E. MASTERS (West-Minister should be. for Labour and Industry) [5. 13 p.m.]: I move- The arterial drainage plan is intended ulti- That the Bill be now read a second time. mately to show all the matters contained in the This Bill is designed to update two important pro- legislation. At present, it exists in part in the form visions of drainage and works, It consolidates of overlay maps, in the vesting of metropolitan these matters and provides also for more equitable main drains in the authority and of other drains arrangements with regard to land, entry onto with local authorities; but for some years it is land, the rights of the landowner or occupier, and likely to remain a dynamically evolving plan being several other issues which I will cover. developed in a co-operative way by the authorities It had been hoped to present to Parliament dur- involved. ing this session a Bill which would completely up- Attention must be given realistically to the way date all the provisions for metropolitan water ser- that drains are built and managed as well as being vices. However, this has not been possible due to designed merely as lines on maps, and the legis- the complexity of legal and drafting aspects, and lation deals with this also. In the first place, if this Bill represents those portions of legislation practicable, drainage courses will be declared. that cover several important issues. The idea of drainage courses and provision for The attention of members is directed to the their declaration is introduced for the first time so proposed definition of "drain" as compared with as to assist in forward planning. A drainage that currently in the Metropolitan Water Supply. course may be thought of as being like a road re- Sewerage, and Drainage Act. The purpose of this serve, whereby notice is given in advance of the (Wednesday, 10 November 1982]192 4925 possible use of a swathe of land for drainage.