WATER POLICY

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:00): My question is to the Premier. What contingency plans have been developed for South Australia's irrigation communities in the event of low or zero water allocations for the 2008-09 growing season? The Murray-Darling Basin Commission's drought update for March 2008 predicts that irrigation allocations for that year are likely to be very low or zero. Riverland communities are already suffering economic and social stress from low allocations in the current water year.

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) (15:01): I refer to the member's last comments: it is not Riverland irrigators alone, there are other communities outside the Riverland that are also suffering as a consequence of low flows. The river does not stop at Lock 1, it actually goes beyond Lock 1, as the member should know. There are particular concerns regarding water availability next year, as there were this year. Given that it is likely that storages will be less at the end of this water year than they were at the start of this water year, we still have a long way to go in this drought.

As everyone in this chamber would know, governments of all persuasions, whether they are the federal government, state governments, Victorian, New South Wales or South Australia governments, are unable to make it rain as much as they would like to. So, we are required to actually manage within the limits of what mother nature provides to us. At this stage they are continuing to be very low inflows.

As a contingency to assist irrigators in South Australia to be able to deal with the low inflow scenarios that we are currently facing, we have provided for a carryover policy that not only enables them to carry over unused water this year but also to purchase water that may be available on the short-term market this year and carry that over for next year. This provides irrigators with the opportunity to manage their water supply, not just in one year but over a two-year period.

The applications for carryover water opened at the beginning of March and will close on 31 March. It is important for the irrigation community to understand that no late applications will be considered: 31 March is the shut-off date. The reason we need to call for applications for carryover water is that South Australia must adjust its flow across the border from the allocations that we have available to us out of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to ensure that we have enough in storage to enable us to supply that water next year.

South Australia has been successful in the renegotiation of the Murray-Darling Basin water sharing arrangements to secure guaranteed carryover water in the dams for next year. This is a significant step forward for irrigators. Irrigators are taking up that option and applications are being received as we speak. However, the low flows are going to create serious problems for next year, as they have for this year, and low opening allocations are very likely.

We will continue to work with our community and the federal government to seek support for our irrigation communities. But really, the only answer to this is water. The only answer to get us that water is rainfall, and we are looking towards this winter. Fortunately, the Bureau of Meteorology is talking about a wetter than average winter. We are hopeful that that will occur. That will certainly alleviate some of the concerns. We do need to get rainfall and we do need to work closely with our communities so that they can better manage within a very restricted environment.