House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Murray River MURRAY RIVER Mr HAMILTON-SMITH House of Assembly Waite Leader of the Opposition MURRAY RIVER 155 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (30 September 2008). Has the government received any advice as to whether there will be any immediate environmental flows into the lower Murray if sufficient rain falls? The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD House of Assembly Chaffey Minister for the River Murray Minister for Water Security MURRAY RIVER The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security): I am advised that if rainfall across the Basin is sufficient to generate unregulated flows to South Australia, this water will immediately contribute to environmental flows as it flows into the state. During most winters, unregulated flows (or flows in excess of South Australia's Entitlement Flow) occur and it is estimated that there is about a 90 per cent probability that some unregulated flows will be received during the winter—spring period this year. These unregulated flows would contribute to environmental flows along the length of the river in South Australia and into the Lower Lakes. Improvements in the regulated flows to the state will be shared between all the competing uses including irrigation, reserves for Critical Human Needs in 2009-10 and for the environment.