LOWER LAKES

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for the River Murray. What initiatives is the government supporting to help our Lower Lakes communities tackle the impact of record low inflows into the Murray system?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (14:23): That's rubbish, and you know that too. That's rubbish. I thank the honourable member for her question. The state government, in conjunction with the Lower Lakes communities and the commonwealth government has, on a number of fronts, been tackling the challenges presented by the record low inflows into the Murray system. A key strategy involves the implementation of the Lower Lakes Bioremediation and Revegetation Project, which is a two year $10 million commonwealth funded package of coordinated programs that are aimed at reducing the risk of further environmental damage in the Lower Lakes region due to the record low inflows.

An important initiative being undertaken as part of this project is the Lower Lakes fencing program, which will result in almost 150 kilometres of shoreline around both lakes being fenced. With strong support from landholders who are being funded to undertake the fencing, more than 80 kilometres has already been fenced at a cost of around $1 million.

The fencing is an essential tool in helping to keep livestock away from exposed lake beds where they run the risk of contacting acidic soils and water as well as preventing that livestock from grazing on vegetation growing on the lake beds. Today, the Federal Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water (Senator the Hon. Penny Wong) and I have announced that funding is now available for fencing in the Goolwa Channel, the Finniss River and the Currency Creek tributaries.

The autumn vegetation program which commenced earlier this month is another significant element of the bioremediation and revegetation project. It involves hand planting more than one million native seedlings to vegetate over 2,300 hectares of exposed lake bed across Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert. Some 300 tonnes of seeds (including local plant species and cereal rye) have been dropped from a fixed-winged aircraft over 5,000 hectares of exposed lake bed, the aim being to reduce soil erosion and the risk of acidification. Preparations for this extensive planting included propagating seedlings for approximately one million native sedges and about 120,000 local native plants, before undertaking the painstaking work of hand planting of exposed lake beds.

I would like to publicly acknowledge the hard work and achievement of the many local volunteers and the close cooperation shared between the state and commonwealth governments, the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority, the Coorong District Local Action Planning Committee—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: I thank you very much for your assistance, leader.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Temporary leader.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Temporary leader. I should not be distracted by my colleague, but I note that there is a one in four chance of any one of the new members actually becoming the deputy leader. In fact, that has been improved by the assertion by the member for Adelaide that she is not interested in the deputy leadership, just the leadership.

Members interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: I have a point of order on relevance and debate. The minister was doing a very good job and I thought he was setting a fine example for the ones up this end, but he has run off the rails.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order. You were being very naughty, minister. You were pointing also, but I noticed the member for MacKillop was pointing back.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I apologise again for being so easily distracted.

The SPEAKER: Yes, thank you. You are normally very well behaved.

The Hon. P. CAICA: The Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association has been involved in this as well, along with the people of the Lower Lakes communities in general. In addition to these initiatives, I am advised that more than 486 billion litres of additional water will have been delivered to Lake Alexandrina in 2009-10, on top of the 350 billion litres of annual River Murray base flow moving past Wellington into that lake.

This has resulted in the water level in Lake Alexandrina being at its highest level since December 2008, rising from minus 0.9 metres mean sea level in January 2010 to minus 0.51 metres mean sea level as at 14 May 2010.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I will not be distracted, ma'am.

The SPEAKER: No.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: You're the one that should be cranky. You should be cranky, learning about your demotion over the radio. I mean, it's outrageous the way you've been treated.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will get back to the question.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I will. I am also advised—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Look, this is a very serious subject, ma'am, and I wish that they would take it seriously. I am also advised that this is expected to maintain Lake Alexandrina—

Mr Venning interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Schubert!

The Hon. P. CAICA: —above its whole of water body acidification trigger to minus 1.5 metres mean sea level until at least 2012. The additional water has also resulted in salinity in Lake Alexandrina decreasing from an average of 6100 EC in January 2010 to 3700 EC as at 14 May 2010. This is the lowest salinity level in that lake since March 2008.

In regard to the water level in Lake Albert, almost 90 billion litres have been pumped into it from Lake Alexandrina during 2009-10, with the aim of keeping it above its whole of water body acidification trigger level. As at 14 May 2010 Lake Albert was at minus 0.55 metres mean sea level.

These initiatives certainly highlight the commitment this government has to stabilising the impacts associated with the recent record low in-flows into our Murray system. Just as importantly, they demonstrate how successful outcomes can be achieved by governments working closely together and working with local communities in confronting what might, at first, have seemed to be insurmountable challenges.