Murray River

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (16:00): I enjoyed that contribution by my friend the member for Flinders. Last week, I was very pleased to hear the fantastic reports that the salt levels in Lake Albert have returned to pre Millennium Drought levels, thanks to water level cycling and several high-flow events in recent years.

You would recall—and I do not like saying this because I hear others say it—that as a former minister for the River Murray during the Millennium Drought and the aftermath I am all too aware of the high salinity levels across the Murray River and the environmental and ecological disruption that this has caused. At the time of the Millennium Drought, Lake Albert salinity reached more than 20,000 EC—sea water is approximately 35,000 EC—and the water was not fit for any purpose whatsoever at that stage.

The news that, after many years of work by the dedicated Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources staff, scientific experts and the surrounding community, salinity levels are now below pre Millennium Drought levels is welcome news—welcome news, indeed. The lowering and raising of water levels (known as water level cycling) has been carried out by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources since the Millennium Drought ended in 2010, helping to reduce salinity in Lake Albert to about 1,500 EC.

I recall a lot from the opposition complained about this, saying that it was too slow, but this was a process that was a very good process. I guess when the research was done there was some confidence that it would make a bit of a difference. I understand that the reduction in salinity has improved water quality for the environment, economic and social uses. As you would be aware, Deputy Speaker, Lake Albert is one of the two South Australian freshwater lakes, known as the Lower Lakes, located where the River Murray meets the ocean.

I have been told that a year-long Lake Albert scoping study was carried out in 2013-14 to pinpoint the best management option to improve and maintain water quality and ecological health. The study recommended that water level cycling, being cost neutral and timely—and that is an important issue—be adopted to reduce salinity in Lake Albert. It is probably far more effective than what we saw when the member for Hammond and the member for MacKillop went down there with their strong-arm T-shirts and started trying to remove the stuff from the temporary weir. This was far more effective than the work they were attempting to do, which was purely for the purposes of media attention. Now I digress.

In addition to the high flows in recent years, the delivery of environmental water has also assisted in removing salt from the lower River Murray and Lower Lakes as this has increased the volume of water available for release over the barrages. Environmental water was delivered by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's The Living Murray program, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage.

Salinity management is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the Murray-Darling Basin. If it is not managed properly it has serious implications for water quality, plant growth, biodiversity, land productivity and the supply of water for critical human needs. South Australia established the River Murray Salinity Zoning Policy in 2003 to manage the long-term salinity risks arising from new irrigation development as part of an overall program to manage salt levels in the River Murray. I understand that the River Murray Salinity Zoning Policy is being reviewed, taking into account considerable changes in irrigation and land and water management through the years.

Maintaining low River Murray salinity levels underpins the health of the environment, the productivity of the region's $2.2 billion food and wine industry and is critical to providing good quality water to up to 90 per cent of South Australia's population who rely on the water from the river. We need to have strong policies and programs in place that effectively manage salinity while also supporting sustainable irrigation development. Deputy Speaker, you yourself would admit that, of all the states, it is South Australia that has continued to ensure that we do whatever we can to make sure that the river system is managed properly.

We need to have strong policies and programs in place to effectively manage salinity, as I have said, while supporting sustainable irrigation development. After consultation with irrigators and communities, the government is considering changes to the current River Murray salinity zoning policy. The proposed changes seek to provide a good balance between supporting irrigation development and meeting our obligation to manage salinity under the Murray-Darling Basin agreement.

The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources has been working with the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and a review panel of key experts and stakeholder representatives to consider community feedback and identify opportunities to improve the policy. I want to commend the work done by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in managing the salinity levels in Lake Albert and across the Murray-Darling Basin and long may they continue their very good work.