WATER CONSUMPTION

149 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (30 September 2008). What action is being taken to reduce the amount of water being used by cotton and rice farmers in other states?

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security): While I understand you are concerned about rice and cotton growing, the real issue is not the type of crop grown, but whether the amount of water permitted to be taken from the Murray-Darling Basin is sustainable. Governments should not decide what is grown. Rather we should ensure the amount of water taken is sustainable, and that irrigators are using water efficiently.

The Government of South Australia strongly advocated for the establishment of an independent authority to develop, implement and manage a Basin Plan for the Murray-Darling Basin and the legislation to enable this to occur was passed in late 2008.

The Basin Plan will include limits on the quantities of surface water and groundwater that can be taken from the Basin water resources. The limits will be defined as the level at which water in the Basin can be taken from the resources without compromising key environmental asset, ecosystem function or the proactive base of the water resource.

South Australia and the other Basin States will play a major role in putting the Basin Plan into operation by developing and implementing water resource plans that are consistent with the Basin Plan. The Basin States and the Commonwealth are also working with industries to improve the water-use efficiency of irrigation infrastructure in the Basin.

The Government of South Australia has been a strong advocate for the accelerated buyback of over allocated water licences in the Basin, particularly in the upstream states.

The Commonwealth has already acted on this and is using the $3.1 billion allocated for this purpose to purchase entitlements from large water users such as Twynam Agricultural Group and water intensive properties such as Toorale Station. In securing Toorale's water entitlements, this will return an average of 20 gigalitres of water to the Darling River each year, peaking at up to 80 gigalitres in flood years. The purchase of water entitlement by the Commonwealth from Twynam Agricultural Group will see up to 240 gigalitres for the environment.