Question Time

RIVER MURRAY IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:51): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Water and the River Murray a question relating to the River Murray Improvements Program.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: At the Renmark riverfront on 28 October 2012, Premier Weatherill announced that $265 million had been committed by the federal government for water recovery and industry regeneration projects in South Australian River Murray communities. The funding announced included $180 million from the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program and $85 million from a fund to be established for research, regional development and industry development. The Premier said the funding would support the Water Industry Alliance proposal to recover 40 gigalitres of water annually from the River Murray. My questions to the minister are:

1. Why did the state government announce $265 million in funding for river communities last year when the money had not been approved?

2. Can the minister provide a guarantee to South Australian River Murray communities that the promised $265 million through the Water Industry Alliance will be forthcoming?

3. Given that the funding has not been allocated at a federal level, where will the $265 million for the River Murray Improvements Program come?

4. Given the Premier's comment on 11 June 2013 that he was only days away from signing the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, why has the agreement not yet been signed?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. Can I say again that it is with great pleasure that I see a Liberal Party member jump to his feet to support the Premier in his fight with the Eastern States' Liberal governments over water. I can only say that I hope the Leader of the Opposition in the other place can emulate the Hon. Mr Wade in his passion for the River Murray.

In 2012, the Premier welcomed a $265 million commitment by the federal government for water recovery and industry regeneration projects in South Australian River Murray communities. Two hundred and forty million dollars of this funding package is for the Water Industry Alliance's South Australian River Murray Improvements Program. The aim is to return 40 gigalitres of water to the environment, provide opportunities for regional development and the reconfiguration and renewal of the South Australian River Murray irrigation industry. I am advised that the federal department is working on this package as we speak and will make an announcement once all the details are in place and finalised to our mutual satisfaction.

Those who are criticising this process join the long list of Liberal Party members seeking to undermine this historic reform, which will restore the River Murray to health after decades of degradation and neglect. The South Australian government continues to work to improve environmental outcomes along the South Australian River Murray and strongly supports the Water Industry Alliance and its development of this package. This investment in South Australian industry will assist our irrigators to further improve irrigation infrastructure and practices and consolidate our state's position as international best practice irrigators. On approval of the program, South Australian irrigators will be provided with opportunities to be rewarded for their previous responsible behaviour by investing in the future sustainability of the industry and the region. It is my understanding that the intention is to reach final agreement on the program in the very near future.

Together with the irrigators and the Riverland communities, this Labor government has stood up to the Eastern States and demanded a plan which would be based on the best available science and which would assure the health of our river. As a result of our negotiations, we secured an extra $1.77 billion to return 450 gigalitres to the river and address constraints in the river system, and $420 million in funding for projects in our state.

It has always been our intention to be a willing and early signatory to the plan, but that comes with some commitment from the federal government in terms of that funding package I just mentioned. We need not to have that funding package put together on the basis of irrigating systems in the Eastern States. Our irrigators in the River Murray in South Australia have been moving towards much more sustainable solutions since 1959. There is no more low-hanging fruit in this state to be plucked, unlike in New South Wales and Victoria, where they have been very slow to move to these high-efficiency irrigation systems.

This government has continued to work through the details of the package with the federal government so that our Riverland irrigators receive the benefits from the program that they deserve. However the Liberals, at every turn, try to undermine everything that is good about this plan. Federal Coalition water spokesperson Barnaby Joyce has just confirmed that the Coalition intends to cap water buybacks at 1,500 gigalitres. This is an incredibly high risk gamble. It lets the upstream states off the hook by allowing them to rely on so-called water efficiencies. They do not have to do the hard work; under the plan that the federal Liberals have announced they do not actually have to return the water to the river.

The message that Barnaby Joyce is sending to irrigators is, 'You don't want to put good projects up. That's okay. We'll cap the water buybacks and we'll give you the money anyway for doing nothing.' That will impact on the river communities in South Australia. It is time all members opposite stood up to their federal Liberal counterparts and told them that the interests of the South Australian irrigators come first and that we, as members of this state parliament, Labor and Liberal, will always fight for South Australia. Come and join us, come and join the Premier, and join our fight for South Australian irrigators.