House of Assembly: Thursday, November 15, 2007

Contents

GOULBURN-MURRAY WATER RECOVERY PROJECT

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (14:37): Does the minister deny that the Victorian government is planning to build a pipeline across the Great Divide to pump 75 gigalitres a year out of the Goulburn Valley, out of the Murray-Darling Basin, into Melbourne to supplement the water resources in that city?

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) (14:37): As I said to the previous question, the project that the South Australian government is investing in is not sending water to Melbourne, full stop. There is no way you can link the two projects.

Mr WILLIAMS: Sir, I have a point of order. Once again, the opposition asks the questions and the government is supposed to answer them, and the question was: does the Minister deny that the Victorian government is going to take 75 gigalitres a year?

The SPEAKER: Order, member for MacKillop! We all heard your question; it is not necessary to repeat it. The Minister for Water Security.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: The project that the South Australian government is investing in is delivering water savings to the Living Murray initiative. Any other project that is delivering water into Melbourne is a question for the Victorian government. It is not the project that the South Australian government is investing in, full stop.