House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time SA Water, Murray River Licence SA WATER, MURRAY RIVER LICENCE The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly Davenport SA WATER, MURRAY RIVER LICENCE The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:36): My question is to the Treasurer. As the Treasurer told estimates that South Australia would keep around 7 per cent of the $228 million of the commonwealth contribution towards the desalination plant, which is about $16 million, how much of SA Water's River Murray water entitlement will the government relinquish in exchange for that amount? The Hon. P. CAICA House of Assembly Colton Minister for Environment and Conservation Minister for the River Murray Minister for Water SA WATER, MURRAY RIVER LICENCE The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (14:36): I thank the— An honourable member interjecting: The Hon. P. CAICA House of Assembly The Hon. P. CAICA: No; I am not getting the answer at all. An honourable member House of Assembly An honourable member: It's probably on your tweet. The Hon. P. CAICA House of Assembly The Hon. P. CAICA: I don't know how to tweet. I thank the honourable member for his question. Quite simply, what we have said on previous occasions is that the licence for SA Water will not in any way form part of being reduced with respect to that money that is going to be provided by the commonwealth in regard to its commitment to the desalination plant. I could go through it again, about what reducing reliance on the River Murray means— An honourable member House of Assembly An honourable member: Go on! The Hon. P. CAICA House of Assembly The Hon. P. CAICA: No; they should know by now. I know Mitch has already said that he needs to become more wise, but it will take me too long for that to actually happen. There will be no impact upon the SA Water's licence. That is not to say that subsequently, in the context of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's final plan, whenever that arrives, there will be some impact upon all licence holders, one of which is SA Water. The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting: