Auditor-General's Report

In reply to Mr COWDREY (Colton) (29 October 2024).

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy):

The basin plan salinity targets for managing water flows that are relevant to South Australia are:

River Murray at Lock 6 – 580 EC

River Murray at Morgan – 800 EC

River Murray at Murray Bridge – 830 EC

Lower Lakes at Milang – 1,000 EC

In 2019-20 and 2020-21 salinity levels remained below the basin plan salinity targets for managing water flows for all sites in the River Murray channel. There were minor exceedances of the 1,000 EC target at Milang in the Lower Lakes for 5 per cent of the days in the reporting period.

The Basin Salinity Management 2030 Strategy includes End of Valley Targets to preserve basin-wide monitoring and to inform the assessment of salinity risk to the shared water resources and within-valley assets. The program of salinity controls implemented to date, including improved irrigation practices and salt interception schemes, contributed to the maintenance of in-river salinity levels below target levels for the 2019-21 period.