Legislative Council: Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Contents

COASTAL WATER QUALITY

The Hon. M. PARNELL (14:50): My supplementary question, which does relate to the minister's original long answer, is: does the minister agree that it took the death of thousands of fish being washed up on Adelaide's coastal beaches—

The PRESIDENT: You are seeking an opinion.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: —for the government to get moving on this plan, which has been languishing in draft form since 2011, 10 years after it started?

The PRESIDENT: That is hardly a supplementary and it is seeking the minister's opinion.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:50): Mr President, the honourable member just does not get it, does he? This report has been in preparation for a number of years. You do not rattle off a report like this in a matter of days, you do not produce a report like this in a matter of five days since the fish have been dying. You need to consider detailed scientific data and bring together a number of experts. If the honourable member wants a typical political report then he can have it, but it will not do any good to our ecosystems.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wade.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr President, I know I should disregard these interjections, but the draft report was released in 2011 and the full report was due to be released in May. That was always the timetable.