LAKE EYRE BASIN (INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT) (RATIFICATION OF AMENDMENTS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Second reading.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:43): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading explanation inserted in Hansard without my reading it.

Leave granted.

The Lake Eyre Basin (the Basin) is a unique environment that is also important to South Australia's economy. Mostly arid, yet subject to some of the largest floods in the country, the Basin includes diverse landscapes, communities and economic activities.

It is an area rich in Aboriginal heritage, which has continuing significance for the culture and well being of the descendants of the early Aboriginal groups.

Environmentally significant, the South Australian portion of the Lake Eyre Basin includes the Ramsar listed Coongie Lakes wetland system. This mosaic of lakes is one of Australia's most spectacular natural attractions and in 2005, the South Australian Government declared the Coongie Lakes National Park in recognition of the importance of this area.

The rivers of the Basin sustain a variety of economic activities. Tourism, mining, pastoralism and service industries generate significant economic contributions to regional, state and national economies.

In 2005, the Flinders and Outback region, of which the Lake Eyre Basin is a significant portion, attracted an estimated 560,000 overnight visitors that stayed over 2.2 million nights in the region. This region attracts more visitor nights than any other tourism region outside of Adelaide and is an important tourism asset for South Australia. This supports the Government's Strategic plan target (T1.15) of increasing visitor expenditure in South Australia's tourism industry from $3.7 billion in 2002 to $6.3 billion by 2014. The Lake Eyre Basin is a key tourism asset for South Australia both internationally and domestically. The area's marketing success relies heavily on a favourable public perception of its attractions and of how it is being managed.

The Lake Eyre Basin and surrounding area is rich in minerals and resources, development of which could contribute to meeting the major economic targets in South Australia's Strategic Plan.

However, the largest economic sector in the Basin is pastoralism. In the South Australian portion of the Basin gross annual value of pastoral production ranges from $47 million to $97 million and represents 22.5 per cent of South Australia's beef and 4.5 per cent of sheep and wool production.

With significant economic production, fragile environments and communities reliant on balancing the interaction between the two, the need for a system of managing the Basin as a whole is clear. Experience in other parts of Australia and internationally has demonstrated that short term, insular decision making is not sustainable.

Responding to a proposal for a large scale cotton irrigation development on the Cooper Creek in Queensland, South Australia became the driving force behind an initiative to develop an inter jurisdictional agreement for the waters and related natural resources of the Lake Eyre Basin. After some five years of negotiation, the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement was signed by South Australian, Queensland and Commonwealth Ministers on behalf of their respective governments on 21 October 2000. All three jurisdictions undertook to legislate to give effect to the Agreement and the South Australian Lake Eyre Basin (Intergovernmental Agreement) Act 2001 was passed by the SA Parliament on 3 April 2001.

The purpose of the Agreement is to avoid or eliminate, as far as reasonably practicable, adverse cross border impacts on the region's water and related natural resources. The Agreement has been effective in bringing together governments, communities and scientists to address natural resources management issues in the Basin. Specific achievements include continued cross jurisdictional cooperation in natural resources management and water planning, installation of three new automatic stream gauging stations to increase understanding of surface water hydrology, compilation of a hydrological atlas for the Basin, the development of the Rivers Assessment Program to track changes in resource condition over time, the hosting of two Lake Eyre Basin Conferences and the first Lake Eyre Basin Indigenous Forum. These initiatives have established the cooperative environment required for regional natural resources management bodies across jurisdictions to seek and secure funding for projects to address on ground natural resources management issues.

On 10 June 2004 the Northern Territory became a party to the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement. As a result, South Australia undertook to review the boundaries of the Agreement area to complement the NT initiative.

A two stage consultation process was undertaken with community and industry interests. The consultation targeted pastoral, mining, petroleum, Aboriginal and specific community based bodies with an interest in the area. These included the SA Chamber of Minerals and Energy, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, all mining and petroleum tenement holders and tenement applicants, the South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board, the former Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board, Rangelands Integrated Natural Resources Management Group, the former Aboriginal Lands Integrated Natural Resources Management Group, key individuals in the Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal Lands (specifically at Indulkana and Kenmore Park), the Oodnadatta Progress Association, the former Marla Oodnadatta Soil Conservation Board, the Lake Eyre Basin Community Advisory Committee, the Lake Eyre Basin Scientific Advisory Panel and the Conservation Council of South Australia.

Initially the review focussed on those parts of the Lake Eyre Basin with the closest connection to the Northern Territory (i.e. Finke and Hamilton/Alberga/Macumba rivers and catchments and Witjira National Park, Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Simpson Desert Regional Reserve). Several individuals and organisations indicated that they were keen to see the Neales and other catchments to the west of Lake Eyre also included in the Agreement area.

Subsequently a second stage review was undertaken with a view to including the Neales, Umbum, Sunny and Douglas rivers and catchments.

As there was general support for the inclusion of both the Stage 1 and Stage 2 areas within the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement and following the approval of Schedule 3 to the Agreement by the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum in February 2007, the Government is now pleased to introduce the Lake Eyre Basin (Intergovernmental Agreement) (Ratification of Amendments) Amendment Bill 2007.

The inclusion of these additional areas demonstrates the commitment of South Australia to the Agreement, and provides opportunities for cooperation and collaboration in managing catchments as a whole.

Explanation of Clauses

Part 1—Preliminary

1—Short title

2—Amendment provisions

These clauses are formal.

Part 2—Amendment of Lake Eyre Basin (Intergovernmental Agreement) Act 2001

3—Insertion of section 4A

This clause inserts a new section into the Lake Eyre Basin (Intergovernmental Agreement) Act 2001.

4A—Ratification of amendments

Section 4A provides that the Ministerial Forum, which is a group of Ministers constituted under Part V of the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement, has approved the addition of two new Schedules to the Agreement.

The two Schedules contain amendments to the Agreement. If there is any inconsistency between the amendments made by Schedule 2 and Schedule 3, the amendments made by Schedule 3 supersede those made by Schedule 2.

Section 4A(3) provides that the amendments to the Agreement are ratified and approved. This ratification and approval includes the addition of Schedule 2 and 3 approved by the Ministerial Forum.

4—Amendment of Schedule

The amendments to the Schedule to the Act insert Schedules 2 and 3 into the Lake Eyre Intergovernmental Agreement.

Schedule 2

Schedule 2 is a deed between the Commonwealth, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory dated that 10th of June 2004. This deed amends the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement and becomes Schedule 2 to that agreement.

Schedule 3

Schedule 3 is a deed between the Commonwealth, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory that amends the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement and becomes Schedule 3 to that agreement.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Griffiths.