Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Will the minister guarantee that the 62 gigalitres of environmental water due by June this year will flow to South Australia?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:31): Of course, this is the 62 gigalitres of the 450 that we got one-quarter of 1 per cent of under them and we have 62 gigalitres coming under us—62 gigalitres. Did the deputy leader just say that we have 62 gigalitres coming?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: this is debate.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. The question was about—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond can leave for half an hour. I am trying to explain and adjudicate on this point of order. Half an hour, please.

The honourable member for Hammond having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The question was something about 62 gigalitres of water due by June. I will allow the minister some preamble, but again there were many interjections. I ask them to cease so I can hear the minister.

Dr CLOSE: Mr Speaker, would you like me to repeat the question?

The SPEAKER: No, it's okay, I have it. The minister has the call. Thank you, Minister for Environment and Water.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, or as the deputy leader was saying actually, there is a pathway to 62 gigalitres that is coming by the middle of 2019—one gigalitre under 16 years of Labor, lots of noise, lots of T-shirts and baseball caps, tweets, social media campaigns and one-quarter of 1 per cent of the 450 gigalitres that we were to get. Because the opposition are having difficulty—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is warned for a second and final time.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —remembering what I said yesterday, that one gigalitre, where did that come from? New South Wales? No. Victoria? No. The ACT? No. It came from South Australia. We offered it up.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: So 450 gigalitres—

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Police is called to order.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —and they delivered one. We now have a pathway, as the deputy leader concedes, towards 62 gigalitres by midyear—

The SPEAKER: Yes, 62; that's right.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —and it is progressing well and we are doing everything we can to ensure that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —that water is delivered. South Australia is doing its bit. We are making a contribution.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Victoria and New South Wales are undertaking projects, and even the ACT—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —the smallest jurisdiction within the basin, is undertaking urban water projects towards that 62 gigalitres. It is progressing, it is going well and we are doing everything we can to make sure that we get that.