MURRAY-DARLING BASIN

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:17): Again my question is to the Premier. Is the Premier concerned, or not concerned, that the Victorian government's decision, to which he has agreed, to take water from the Murray-Darling Basin to supply Melbourne sets a new precedent of supplying a second capital city with water from the basin, and therefore changing the status of a significant volume of water, currently subject to allocation variation as irrigation supply, to becoming critical for human needs water, not subject to variation in time of low flows?

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) (15:17): Once again this question has been answered before—on groundhog day. Stage 1 is the pipeline, and it is not being funded through this program. Stage 2 is funded through the program which does not include that pipeline.