Natural Resources Management Levy

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Given that the Labor-dominated Natural Resources Committee is not satisfied with his government's response in trying to justify cost shifting items which are supposed to be paid for from appropriations and passed on to irrigators, will the minister now agree to an independent audit of water planning and management costs?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:40): They keep recycling all their old questions. I am not sure what time they think they are going to run out of them but we have two weeks of this, so they might want to go off and look for some new ones. The Natural Resources Committee of the parliament has made a determination, I understand, to not object to the levy increases—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, that is what I was advised. They also—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, yes, that's right.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Brokenshire, we would like to hear the answer, please.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The communication I have had from the committee conveying that to me has also outlined a number of questions which they would like addressed and which I will do and respond to in due course.