Government to examine company's water find

16/5/2000
Water Resources Minister Dr Kim Hames said the announcement today by Anaconda Nickel of the results of its investigation into low-salt water supplies in the Officer Basin appeared encouraging.

"The preliminary results of the investigation carried out by the company would seem to show a significant supply of water," Dr Hames said.
"Providing water to the Goldfields has been a vexed issue throughout history and the development of the region has always been directly tied to the water supplies.
"If the water found by Anaconda proves up in quality, quantity and sustainability after further investigation, then it is certainly exciting news for Western Australia."
Dr Hames said the Government was currently investigating ways of providing additional water not only to augment the area's drinking supplies but also to help meet the needs of industry.
"This has included the recent announcement of a feasibility study between the Water Corporation and the private sector into piping seawater from Esperance and the use of desalination," he said.
"However, there are a number of industries in the area, including Anaconda, which need fresh water to process their product.
"Fresh water is in short supply and much of the water used by industry is hypersaline."
Dr Hames said a further supply of industry-use water held in palaeochannels, or ancient riverbeds, in the northern Goldfields was mapped recently by the Water and Rivers Commission during a three-year study.
"The issue is to now define the extent of the resource identified by Anaconda and how it should be used for the benefit of the State, including the mining industry," he said.
"Anaconda will now meet with the Water and Rivers Commission and the Water Corporation to discuss its findings."
Media contact: Caroline Lacy 9424 7450