Ministerial Statement

MURRAY-DARLING BASIN PLAN

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (15:17): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Over the next 12 to 15 months, the long-term future of the Murray-Darling Basin will be determined.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, I am not sure what your point of order would be.

Mr WILLIAMS: It is a convention of the house that, when a minister makes a ministerial statement, he hands out a copy of his statement.

The SPEAKER: There is no standing order there. Sit down—I can see that he is about to hand them out. Thank you, minister.

The Hon. P. CAICA: As I said, over the next 12 to 15 months, the long-term future of the Murray-Darling Basin will be determined. On 8 October 2010, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority released a guide to the proposed plan. The South Australian government has been preparing a response to the guide and has engaged with the public at valuable community meetings held in Murray Bridge, Renmark and Adelaide.

Following consultation on the 'Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan', the proposed basin plan will be released. This is due to be released early next year, which will initiate the formal minimum 16-week public consultation process required under the Water Act 2007. This will be followed by the final basin plan by the end of 2011 or early in 2012.

As I and others have stated before, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fix the environmental problems facing the basin. Whether we achieve our goal of a healthy river system, capable of supporting vibrant and productive communities, or whether through inaction or too little action we condemn the basin to a slow or possibly rapid decline, all hang on the outcome of deliberations over the next 12 to 15 months.

I do not need to remind the house that South Australia, in its position at the bottom end of the system, has the most to gain or lose, depending on the final outcomes of this process. I believe it is vital that South Australia present a strong and unified front in our response to the proposed basin plan, once it is released.

For this reason, consistent with my numerous calls for a bipartisan approach across the political divide on this important issue, I notify the house of my intention to move a motion requesting that the Natural Resources Committee inquire into and report on the proposed basin plan when it is released next year on behalf of the South Australian parliament.

The Natural Resources Committee will inquire into and consider the following aspects of the proposed plan when it is released, with particular reference to community views on:

the environmental impacts of the provisions for environmental flows in the River Murray system, in particular the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth;

the impact of proposals on the social, cultural, environmental and economic needs of the South Australian community;

whether new sustainable diversion limits have been fairly and equitably devised and applied across the Murray-Darling Basin; and

associated community adjustment issues.

Work on the referral will commence on the date that the proposed basin plan is released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. A response will need to be provided within the time outlined by the authority, which will be a minimum of 16 weeks from the date of release of the proposed basin plan.

I trust all members of the house will welcome this move and use this opportunity to work together for an outcome that is in the best interest of the basin, of those that rely on it and, of course, of South Australia. I also hope that this spirit of bipartisanship will be embraced by our federal South Australian representatives so that we are in the strongest possible position to get an outcome for our state and our nation.