Answers to Questions

LONG FLAT IRRIGATION TRUST

In reply to Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (7 June 2007).

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Small Business, Minister Assisting the Minister for Industry and Trade): I am advised that guidelines for the restructuring and rehabilitation of the Lower Murray Reclaimed Irrigation Area (LMRIA) were approved in December 2003 by the then Minister for Environment and Conservation. The opportunity for restructuring then became available with some irrigators retiring from irrigation, while others consolidated their landholding. At the end of that process, there were 24 private irrigation trusts containing one or more irrigators actively farming in the LMRIA area.

In February 2005, the first irrigation trust signed their Rehabilitation Funding Deeds. Seventy five percent of irrigation trusts (18 out of 24) had signed their deeds by the end of 2005, and by the end of June 2007, all but the small irrigation district of Burdett had signed. The Burdett deed will be finalised for consideration of the irrigators once specific design issues are addressed. In relation to Long Flat, the funding deed was signed in June 2007.