Natural Resources Management Levy

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:31): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Water and the River Murray.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The minister has cited the National Water Initiative as justification for shifting departmental costs onto water users through the natural resources management levy. How does the minister justify the inclusion of $4.7 million related to water policy and strategy costs, when to do so is in direct breach of principle 2 of the National Water Initiative in relation to government activities under recovery for water planning and management?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:31): The opposition wouldn't know a principle if they fell over one. I have to say this about the opposition: they come in here all crazy-brave, but they are selling their communities right down the river. This is the mob who did not want to stand up to a federal government, be it a Labor federal government, they were too scared to stand up against them as well. They refuse to stand up against a federal Liberal government in the interest of South Australia.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I can tell them right now it is only because South Australia stood up for our state that we got the water deal through the agreement that we wanted all along, without any help from the opposition, none at all. They squibbed it, in the very earliest stages. They wanted to adopt the clapped-out old Corolla, that is what they wanted us to adopt. But we stood firm.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lensink, it is really lovely to see you back. Obviously you have a lot of enthusiasm, but the minister is trying to answer the question. It would be very much appreciated if you would just let him do so without your interjections. Minister, please finish your answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: They are very happy to try to pivot away to another issue when it does not suit them, when their record is brought up about how they failed to stand up for our state time and time again. They would not know what the National Water Initiative principles are about. They wouldn't know a principle if they fell over one.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Lensink, I think you are actually going a little bit overboard, and I do not appreciate it. I do not think the chamber appreciates it. Keep in your seat, allow the minister to answer the question and we will all be much happier.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I am very indebted for the honourable member's thrusting into my hand these papers, because at item 3, 'Principles for recovering the costs of water planning and management activities'—look it up! It is about recovering costs from the beneficiaries. Look it up!

Mr President, I suggest through you that they look it up and understand that in other states there is a full recovery. We are only after a partial recovery. They cannot get away from the fact that, even with the partial recovery we are looking for, our water management prices through the levy process are incredibly less than the Eastern States. We are delivering for our agricultural communities, we are delivering for our irrigators, we are delivering for our farmers, and those opposite just squib it every time.