Grievance Debate

River Murray Irrigators

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:04): Today I rise to speak about some uncertainty that Riverland irrigators will face as of 1 July this year. Sadly, for those River Murray irrigators, their opening allocation is going to be 36 per cent. That is now creating an uncertain future for those businesses, those families, and it is a reflection into the community that they will have to deal with. Yes, I understand the uncertain future with resources, I understand an uncertain future with the dairy industry, yet the minister has blatantly said that it is just a pity, that, 'If we had government seats in an affected area, it would be problematic for the government, but as we don't there is no issue for us.'

Really, I think that sets a platform for irrigators in South Australia that they do not have the support of the current water minister. South Australians should be alarmed, and so should the government, knowing that the irrigation sector and the farming sector in the Riverland and the Mallee are one of the stablemates here for South Australia's economy.

One of the shining lights that has come from that low opening allocation is that we will have carryover provisions which enable irrigators to carry over 20 per cent of their allocation into the next year. Sadly, after the last drought, many of our irrigators had to sell their allocations. They had to sell those allocations to pay off debt, they were under bank pressure, they were under all sorts of financial pressures, and so they sold that water back to the commonwealth government. The minister said it should have been increased so that we sold more of our water back, removed our economic base here in South Australia and created mayhem within the irrigation sector.

At the moment, we are dealing with a very volatile water market. Of course, as soon as the water market hears that there is a restricted allocation, they hear that there will be carryover provisions in place, of course, what happens? The demand increases, prices go up and those irrigators who are affected will have to pay a premium for their water. Again, the South Australian irrigators licence pressure has been brought to the fore by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Two years ago, the Premier said here that he was a champion for the Murray irrigators and for the Murray in South Australia, yet we see another dry year, we see another restricted opening allocation and we have not heard a squeak out of the Premier. When he came up and said he would be the champion for South Australia, the champion for the River Murray, he followed the Liberal's plan in endorsing a 2,750 gigalitre basin plan, as did the Liberal Party, as did the opposition here in South Australia. Yet, we get all this rhetoric about Mazdas and 180Bs as opposed to a Rolls-Royce.

I think we need to justify that the Premier is nothing more than a spin doctor, as is his minister, here in South Australia because what have they achieved since we have had the drought in 2010? They have achieved zero. They have planted trees below Lock 1. Many of those trees in those tree planting programs have failed, many of those trees have died, yet what are we seeing in today's environment? We have seen irrigators give up their water, we have seen the commonwealth government invest in those irrigation businesses and now, to deal with restrictions, to deal with lower flows into South Australia, we are seeing more uncertainty.

There has not been one piece of environmental work and measure achieved below Lock 1—not one. We have seen a scoping study that has been put into the bottom drawer, we have seen initiatives that should have been put on the desk of the Premier and the minister, but not one has been addressed. They sit in the bottom drawer collecting dust. Again, we look at irrigators giving up their water for the environment, we look at irrigators now being expected to give up the up water—the 450 gigalitres of up water that the environment now needs—but not one drop of water has come from the South Australian government, not one drop of water has come from SA Water.

Again, we are looking at our economic base here in South Australia being depleted, being absolutely crucified for the lack of action by this government, this Premier and this minister. What I would like to say in parting is that the best information will allow for the best decisions for our irrigators. Minister, look at what New South Wales and Victoria are doing with their forward projection scenarios and giving their irrigators the best possible advice.

The SPEAKER: The member said he was parting, and now he has.

Time expired.