RIVERLAND IRRIGATION BLOCKS

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about Riverland properties.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: In recent times, many properties in the Riverland have been abandoned due to the small block irrigators exit program and there is now real concern about abandoned blocks and the threats that they pose, including the harbouring of a potential fruit fly outbreak, bushfire hazards and the spread of other pests and diseases. My questions to the minister are:

1. How many abandoned horticultural properties are there in the Riverland?

2. Who is responsible for these properties?

3. What is the government's plan for mitigating the associated risk of abandoned properties?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. Indeed, the issue the honourable member refers to is most important and it has been one of those areas that has developed out of the very severe drought conditions we had for a decade and the particular adversity experienced by the Riverland, which is a high user of the River Murray and did it particularly tough.

It is a consequence of federal policies that were put in place to assist producers whose businesses were unsustainable and who had nowhere to go. They were pretty much destitute at the time and they were offered these packages to assist them to move out of the industry, and it was also an attempt to reduce reliance on water. People voluntarily took up these packages, and part of the conditions around that was that the properties had to be cleared so they would not be derelict. That was No. 1. If there were vines or trees, my understanding is that they had to be removed and the properties left clean. One of the conditions was that they were not allowed to be re-used for that particular primary producing purpose within a particular period of time and, as I recall, it was five years.

We now see the consequence of that. There were a number of properties where these farmers voluntarily chose to take these packages and use that as an opportunity. Basically their businesses were unsustainable in the long term and the federal government offered them this assistance and they took it. In that respect, it really saved a number of families, and the wellbeing of a number of families, at that time.

There are a number of measures that the federal government has since put in place to progress that. There is a $265 million commitment by the federal government for a water recovery and industry regeneration project in South Australian River Murray communities. That funding package is for the Water Industry Alliance, the South Australian River Murray Improvements Program, which aims to return 40 gigalitres of water to the environment and provide opportunities for regional development and the reconfiguration and renewal of the South Australian River Murray irrigation system.

The $265 million that was announced comprises $180 million from the commonwealth's Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program, all of which I understand will be put towards the Water Industry Alliance program, and $85 million from the South Australian industry futures fund to be established for research, regional development and industry development in South Australia. I am advised that $60 million of the $85 million will be put to the Water Industry Alliance program in 2025 towards regional development research programs. I am advised that that $265 million in funding will be made available over six years starting in 2013-14.

We see that the federal government did a great deal at the time of the drought to assist primary producers to move out of unsustainable businesses, particularly primary producing business practices, and has put in place a series of measures to help boost the productivity and activity of the region—and also to put water back into the river.