LAKE VICTORIA

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Water Security. Exactly how much water is held in Lake Victoria—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PEDERICK: I will start again. Exactly how much water is held in Lake Victoria, and how much is accessible by South Australia and on what basis?

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) (15:00): I thank the member for his question and I also acknowledge the work he is doing on behalf of his community as the local member in Hammond. The regional communities are experiencing one of the toughest times that they will ever face and his advocacy on behalf of his community is to be applauded. As to the question of Lake Victoria, I think it holds about 600 gigalitres. It is a re-regulating lake; in other words, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission uses it to move water down from Hume Dam to be accessible to South Australia as we need it. It is more of a re-regulating facility than a storage facility.