RIVERINE RECOVERY PROJECT

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for the River Murray. What long-term improvements to the riverine environment will follow the securing of significant funding for the Riverine Recovery Project?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (14:28): I thank the honourable member for his very important question. The federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and I recently announced $86.7 million for the Riverine Recovery Project. The Australian government has committed $78 million to the project, which is supplemented by the state government's commitment of a further $8.7 million. This funding is in addition to the $9.2 million Riverine Recovery Project's early on-ground works package the federal minister and I jointly announced in March.

The Riverine Recovery Project is a component of the Murray Futures program and aims to achieve measurable long-term improvements in the health of the riverine environment between Wellington and the South Australian border. The project will also enable more effective use of environmental water and help to secure the future of regional communities by undertaking a range of projects to key flood plains, anabranches and wetlands along this section of the River Murray, which I understand is in a lot of the member for Chaffey's area. His constituents, along with the whole state, will benefit from this program.

The Riverine Recovery Project is a critical project for South Australia as it will position us to more effectively implement necessary actions arising from the upcoming basin plan, in partnership with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. The project builds on the Living Murray First Step Decision to optimise environmental water delivery and maximise environmental outcomes while minimising impacts on other users. The Riverine Recovery Project is also linked to the Murray Futures long-term plan for the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth by extending the efforts to build resilience and address river health across the whole of the River Murray system in South Australia.

The Riverine Recovery Project aims to improve ecological outcomes for flood plains and wetlands, use environmental water more effectively, provide social benefits and, of course, deliver up to 15 gigalitres of water savings to the commonwealth to help protect or restore environmental assets in the Murray-Darling Basin.

The project is one of the first aimed at improving the efficiency of environmental water use and reallocating these water savings for the benefit of the environment. I am pleased to inform members that the Riverine Recovery Project funding will be used to undertake activities across a suite of project elements. These include the improvement of flood plains through the provision of critical infrastructure for enhanced environmental flows, fish passage and habitat, and connectivity of the flood plain and the river channel.

Activities like these aim to reverse the effects of degradation and restore the ecological health of two significant flood plain sites: Pike and Katfish Reach. Another project element involves undertaking necessary investigations and installation of infrastructure to reintroduce more natural wetting and drying cycles for wetlands to improve ecosystem health and resilience.

In addition to these benefits, river operations will be enhanced by varying the timing and delivery of environmental water, and there will be, of course, through that, improved information management. This significant project is another clear demonstration of the government's commitment to respond effectively to the critical situation experienced in the Murray-Darling Basin in recent years and to improve the river's health for the benefit of future generations of South Australians, and I know that the member for Chaffey is very supportive of this particular project.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!