River Murray Environmental Water

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (14:20): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier inform the house about the increase in environmental water coming down the River Murray?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy) (14:20): I am delighted to bring the chamber up to date with the progress in environmental water being made available to South Australia. In the 2023-24 year we had 1,650 gigalitres of environmental water that came across the border that has done a significant job at cleaning up the river, not only for the environment but, of course, crucially, to maintain it as a healthy, working river. It is only a working river if it is a healthy river. It is only a healthy river if the environment is taken care of.

It is so important that we see water being able to flow through the river to take the salt out but also that the environment, that is so dependent on the quality of the river, is able to be sustained. We have seen an increase in golden perch, in black bream down in the Coorong, and also silver perch along the river channel being much more healthy. We have seen very rare bird species having benefited from this as well and also, of course, vegetation, which benefited so much from the flood experience and is now able to continue to be sustained as we start to head into a drier period.

It is very important that the environmental benefits that came about as a result of the flood aren't lost by then stepping back. Of course, had we not had a Murray-Darling Basin Plan and water transferred over to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, we would not be seeing this kind of benefit. I did hear someone say something about irrigators, and it would be remiss of me not to point out what good news it is that for the third year in a row irrigators in South Australia have received 100 per cent of their allocation, as we absolutely desire to see constantly.

But we are also aware that irrigators are dependent on the river being healthy. Irrigators are not able to use water from a brackish, hypersaline drain, they need a healthy working river and that is what we—at least on this side of the chamber—are all dedicated to seeing happen. Much as it is good news to see that we have had the 1,650 gigalitres come through, and we have seen positive effects from that, we know that that isn't enough to really make sure that this is a sustainable Murray-Darling Basin.

We know that that last 450 gigalitres of environmental water—that was the only reason that South Australia signed up to the plan—does need to come over to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. We know that as we head into the next drying period, as we see climate change increasingly take effect—and just look at what is happening in the Limestone Coast, if you don't think that a drying environment is bad for primary producers—as those forces start to really bear down on the Murray-Darling Basin we need to make sure that we have a pathway to getting the water into the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder's hands to be used judiciously.

Unfortunately, of course, that is not a position that is shared by the South Australian Liberals who represent this state in Canberra. Unfortunately, they decided to vote against a bill that proposed to see the last 450 gigalitres coming over to South Australia. If they had had their way, then the deadline would have come and gone and we would have had about two gigalitres assigned. They decided that they would not support a piece of legislation that enabled people who chose, who wanted to sell water to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, to say that they would be able to sell water to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. We decided that they would not be allowed to benefit from that.

There is often a discussion about that being a negative economic consequence, and I invite people to read Commissioner Richard Beasley's contribution to that bill where he comprehensively debunks the nonsense there that is perpetrated by the people on the other side.