REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:06): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a very important question about regional funding.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: The South Australian River Murray Sustainability program and the Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification program are two significant funding programs intended to support a healthy River Murray and sustainable South Australian regions. My question is: can the minister inform the chamber how both these programs are progressing?

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) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. On 23 August, the former federal water minister and the Premier officially announced the South Australian River Murray Sustainability program (SARMS) during a visit to the Riverland. The $265 million SARMS program was funded by the former federal Labor government and will be delivered by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) over the next six years, starting in 2013-14.

It is intended that this SARMS program will support the sustainability of the South Australian River Murray communities through investment in irrigation efficiencies, water returns, irrigation industry assistance and regional economic development, with the funding applied along the entire River Murray in South Australia, from the border to the mouth. One component of this most important initiative is the delivery of the $240 million SARMS Irrigation Industry Improvement program—a competitive grants program that will support the restoration of a healthy Murray-Darling environment by recovering 40 gigalitres of water access entitlements (36 gigalitres long-term average annual yield) from participating irrigators.

On 23 August this year, during the announcement of signing the national partnership agreements (NPAs) for the program, Senator Simon Birmingham (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment) was quoted in the media as saying that he welcomed the funding but questioned why it had been delayed. However, he now has the responsibility for this project, yet we are still to receive indication of the acceptance of the proposed guidelines and assessment process so that this crucial funding to support South Australian River Murray irrigators and the commitment of the basin plan and its water targets can begin. When one considers that, in opposition, Senator Birmingham was so concerned, this delay by the current federal Liberal opposition has jeopardised South Australia's capability to deliver on the agreed water returns.

Amongst many of my other letters, it is extremely disappointing that I have had to write letters to Senator Birmingham, who has taken carriage of this program. At the moment, I seem to spend most of my time writing letters to the current Liberal opposition government trying to claw back those funds that they are reneging on.

The Hon. S.G. Wade: Liberal opposition government?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Anyway, I have sent another letter to remind Senator Birmingham of his department's responsibilities in progressing this. It is even more disappointing considering that the honourable senator is South Australian and that he would be well aware of the significant work this government has done and the funding it has provided to ensure that we have a healthy River Murray for our regions and for our future.

Further, in August 2013, the Rudd Labor government announced the allocation to South Australia of $25 million towards 21 projects it intended to support throughout the South Australian river corridor. The projects that were announced were to receive funding from the $100 million Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program, with funding contingent on South Australia signing the intergovernmental agreement for the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

South Australia signed the agreement on 27 June 2013. We are yet to receive confirmation from the federal government that it will honour these projects, jeopardising job creation and economic development opportunities and causing unnecessary distress to the proposed recipients of this funding, who now have no idea if or when they can expect their funding to be honoured.

I have previously written to the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development seeking his assurance that these funding arrangements will go ahead, and I have been met with silence. I wrote again this week with the hope that the commonwealth will begin to engage in a respectful discourse in delivering what was promised to South Australia.

All those opposite who have not done the same—and none of them has; not a one has picked up a pen or a phone—should be ashamed of themselves. There is no justification in letting their federal colleagues, their federal mates, treat South Australian communities with such disrespect and disdain. It is an extremely sad reflection on where their commitment to South Australian regions truly lies.