NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: SOUTH-EAST NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT BOARD

Mr RAU (Enfield) (11:55): I move

That the 13th report of the committee, on the South-East Natural Resources Management Board Levy Proposal 2007-08, be noted.

Each of the NRM board reports that I have tabled essentially contain similar or the same recommendations, the exception being the report on the Kangaroo Island NRM Board which contains one additional recommendation. In a nutshell, the committee found that the current statutory provisions under the Natural Resources Management Act are totally unsatisfactory inasmuch as they deal with the question of consultation. We have recommended that new consultation provisions include consultation with the public and the NRM committee and that that consultation period be extended from 21 days to 35 days. This report, as do the other reports on NRM levies, makes recommendations to address what the committee sees as a number of shortcomings, under the current provisions of the act. However, there are specific issues that arose during the consideration of the levy proposed by the South-East NRM Board, and I would like to highlight these briefly.

Once again, the committee found that the board had carried out its consultation as required by statute. Only one of the eight constituent councils, the Tatiara council, in its submission to the committee, expressed any concerns on the levy proposals. It noted the reduced funding from government for the coming year, which it believed raised the prospect of reallocation of NRM funds. It also expressed concern at the extent of the levy rate increase. The board did, however, demonstrate some measure of public consideration through the commissioning of a comprehensive impact assessment, and we were advised that the board's actions are consistent with the conclusions of that report. The South-East NRM Board has proposed both a division 1 (land-based) and a division 2 (water-based) levy for 2007-08.

Although the basis of the division 1 levy remains unchanged—that is, a fixed rate across the region—it will result in an increase of 15 per cent, from $30 in 2006-07 to $34.50 per rateable assessment in 2007-08. The division 2 levy for water taking allocations will rise from $2.08 per megalitre of water to $2.39 per megalitre of water. This levy is assessed on a sliding scale based on demand, hence variable across the region, and it will rise by about 20 per cent in the coming year. The committee advised the minister that it did not oppose the levies proposed by the South-East NRM Board.

I wish to thank all those who gave their time to the committee during its consideration of the proposal. In particular, I would like to thank David Geddes, Presiding Member, and Hugo Hopton, General Manager, both of the South-East Natural Resource Management Board, for appearing before the committee, and the Tatiara District Council for its written submission. Finally, as always, I extend my thanks to my colleagues who are the other members of the committee: the Hon. Graham Gunn, the Hon. Sandra Kanck, the Hon. Stephanie Key, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer, the Hon. Lea Stevens and the Hon. Russell Wortley MLC, for the tripartisan manner in which they have approached the business of the committee. I have to say that, as chair, it has been a pleasure to work with all of my colleagues on that committee and I greatly appreciate the approach that they have consistently adopted to the committee's work. I commend the report to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Pederick.