MURRAY-DARLING BASIN PLAN

In reply to the Hon. M. PARNELL (3 April 2012).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers): The Minister for Water and the River Murray has been advised:

1. The State Government has carefully assessed the draft Basin Plan against the requirements of the Water Act and the analysis has shown that it fails to deliver essential outcomes for South Australian environments. By failing to restore and protect our environment, the draft Basin Plan does not meet the central purpose under the Water Act, and compromises our international and moral obligations to protect our unique and irreplaceable wetlands for the future.

Based on the State Government's analysis 71 recommendations were made to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) with a key recommendation for the MDBA to adopt an environmental water recovery target greater than 2,750 GL that delivers on essential environmental outcomes.

The MDBA released a revised plan on May 28 which still did not address the need to return enough water to provide for a healthy river. As a consequence the State Government will undertake a campaign to inform all South Australians about the risks to our future and encourage people to push for a plan that is consistent with the best available science. In addition the campaign will be extended across state borders to encourage the broader Australian community to force changes to the plan.

The State Government has also instructed its lawyers to prepare a legal challenge to this plan; the State will be ready to fight it in court if required.

2. The Premier and I are confident South Australians will support a united response to the development of the Basin Plan. I note that in June 2011, every South Australian federal politician—lower house MPs and Senators—pledged support for a Murray-Darling Basin Plan that ends the overuse of water in the Basin and returns the river system to health.