MURRAY-DARLING BASIN PLAN

In reply to Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (13 November 2012).

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport): The Minister for Water and the River Murray has received this advice:

On 1 November 2012, the government was able to support the apportionment for water recovery because South Australia's key preconditions had been met including: commitment of $265 million to South Australia for regional development and the Water Industry Alliance water recovery project; commitment of $1.77 billion for additional water recovery and to address constraints on water delivery; and agreement to include provisions for water recovery of 3,200 gigalitres in the Basin Plan, among other things.

Agreement to the apportionment of the shared water recovery target was reflected in Minister Burke's suggestions to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority on 1 November 2012 regarding changes required to the draft Basin Plan under section 44 (1) of the Water Act 2007.

The changes addressed key conditions required by the South Australian Government, to complement the Commonwealth Government's funding commitments announced on 26 and 28 October 2012, including:

provision for water recovery of 3,200 gigalitres along with relevant environmental outcomes;

provisions to protect the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth from any adverse changes under any sustainable diversion limit adjustments; and

requirements to consider improved knowledge of climate change risk and groundwater-surface water connectivity in future reviews of the Basin Plan.

Minister Burke's changes also included apportioning the 971 gigalitres shared reduction target for the southern connected Basin amongst New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia.

As at 30 April 2013, the Commonwealth had reported that 94.29 gigalitres had been secured towards South Australia's water recovery target of 183.8 gigalitres.