Government Can Enter Private Land to Build the Northern Water Project
Northern Water Project (Land and Infrastructure) Bill 2026
House of Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Topics
infrastructure land access land acquisition property compensation property rights road closures
Introduced by: The Hon Joe Szakacs (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Ben Hood LIB
“I rise to speak on the Northern Water Project (Land and Infrastructure) Bill. I indicate that I am the lead speaker for the opposition and that we will be supporting the bill. We will also be supporting the amendments by the government, but we will not be supporting the amendments of the Greens.”
Melanie Selwood GRN
“We know at present that mining operations in the northern part of South Australia consume massive amounts of water and it is currently drawn primarily from the Great Artesian Basin. The water is pumped along an underground pipeline from two wellfields—Wellfield A and Wellfield B—and BHP extracts more than four million litres of water from Wellfield A and 29 million litres a day from Wellfield B.”
Justin Hanson ALP
“The Northern Water project bill enables access and to acquire interest in land for the Northern Water project. The special purpose legislation provides the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport with the power to access, acquire land or acquire an interest in land to facilitate construction and operation of the Northern Water project.”
Clare Scriven ALP
“I would like to thank the Hon. Ben Hood, the Hon. Ms Selwood and the Hon. Mr Hanson for their contributions. I look forward to the committee stage, should this pass, and I commend it to the chamber. Bill read a second time.”
Kyam Maher ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading explanation and explanation of clauses inserted in Hansard without my reading them. Leave granted.”