Question Time

LOWER LIMESTONE COAST WATER ALLOCATION PLAN

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Water and the River Murray—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: They are easily entertained, Mr President—a question about the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway, you have the call.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Thank you, Mr President, and thank you for your protection.

The PRESIDENT: And leave is granted.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: As the minister should know, agriculture and forestry directly employ some 30,000 South Australians. Agricultural and wine industries in South Australia contribute more than $5 billion in production value, and more than double this in value adding to the state's economy. Of course, the minister should know, too, that crops need water. In March this year, the government released a draft water allocation plan for the Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area. It wants a 34 per cent cut across the board to every allocation in the region known as Area 5A. But, as it turns out, not everyone with an allocation there is drawing on their full entitlement at the moment. According to a decision—I'd like you to listen to this, please. According to a decision—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Thank you, Mr President. You shouldn't try to judge the questions on yourself all the time.

The PRESIDENT: I am not judging the question. The Hon. Mr Ridgway.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: According to a decision in the environment court, if the total management limit is not being exceeded and if there are no environmental triggers, then there are no legal grounds to reduce the allocation. In fact, it is illegal to reduce the allocation. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does he plan to sign off on the draft water allocation plan and, if so, when?

2. Is the minister prepared to exempt 5A from the proposed draft so the issues regarding water reduction in that area can be addressed to suit the intent of the act, the South East NRM Board and the water users of 5A?

3. Does he agree that, unless he exempts 5A, he will expose the state to costly litigation?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his useful tips that I should know about crops needing water. That is something I had not picked up on my long travails so far. I have to say, Mr President, it is another day and I was expecting another question about Hong Kong but, happily, I can say I did not go, and have not been, so I will deal with the question about the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan. For the edification—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The honourable minister has the call, and he will ignore the Hon. Mr Ridgway.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: As much as I possibly can, Mr President, except when I am required to answer a question. For his edification, however, I will say this. The South-East of South Australia is economically and ecologically important to the state. He might not have picked up on that in his travels. The region is reliant on its groundwater resources for irrigation, stock, domestic use, commercial forestry and industry, and to support its ecologically significant wetland environments.

There are growing signs that the limits of sustainable groundwater development are being reached in the region and, as a result, the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan will need to consider a number of policy options to address sustainability. To guide the objectives of the water allocation plan, a task force was established to assist in development of the policy principles that are to be further formulated under the draft Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan. The task force brought together the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, the South East Natural Resources Management Board, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, and the Department of Treasury and Finance.

In association with the task force, a stakeholder reference group was also established to consider science and policy matters. The group includes key representatives for dryland farmers, potato growers, viticulture, dairy and forestry industries, as well as the South Australian Farmers Federation and the Conservation Council of South Australia. The task force, with the support of the stakeholder reference group, developed a policy issues paper to guide the policy development of the draft plan.

Following this draft, the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan was prepared. This draft plan seeks to regulate water use by commercial plantation forests, converting area-based licences to volumetric licences and undertaking reductions to allocations in overallocated management areas. The draft plan was released for public comment for two months from 4 March to 6 May 2013. This process has included three public meetings held in Kingston, Naracoorte and Mount Gambier, I am advised, and public information days at the same locations, as well as more than 20 stakeholder briefings.

The draft plan has been a long time in the making, and I understand that the South East Natural Resources Management Board has engaged comprehensively with industry and the community. The South East Natural Resources Management Board provided me with a revised draft water allocation plan on 12 September 2013 for my consideration. I will refer the draft plan to the Natural Resources Management Council and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources for advice prior to considering the plan for adoption and making my decision.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Mr Ridgway.