South-East Forest Water Licensing Program

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (15:14): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Will the minister inform the chamber about a recent award given to our very own South-East Forest Water Licensing Program in recognition of the state's innovative water management practices?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:14): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. Each year in celebration of the United Nations World Environment Day, 5 June, United Nations Association of Australia holds a World Environment Day awards. These awards recognise innovative and outstanding environmental programs and initiatives from across the country. They play an important role in raising awareness about key environmental issues and challenges, and they are a source of inspiration for others to take positive steps toward sustainability and environmental excellence in their homes, schools, communities and workplaces.

It was a proud moment when the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, and the South-East Natural Resources Management Board were announced as the winners of the Excellence in Water Management Award for the state’s forest water licensing program.

This program which was developed in 2013 is highly innovative. It is at the forefront of policy and legislative reform with respect to the impact of commercial forests in the Lower Limestone Coast on water resources. It does this by requiring that all commercial forests be issued a forest water licence—in a similar way to irrigators—with a water allocation that offsets the impacts of the forest on the groundwater resource. This ensures that the water resource impacts of commercial forests in the Lower Limestone Coast are managed within sustainable limits.

This program is the first of its kind, as I understand it, to be introduced anywhere in the world. Water allocations and water planning are important issues for the South-East community. The Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan was developed following an extensive consultation program with stakeholders over a number of years. It was decided, following this consultation, that in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources, plantation water use needed to be accounted for when managing water allocations. Winning this award is a great honour in itself for our state, but such awards also generate and promote a greater awareness of our state’s capabilities in the field of water and water research. We are seeing growing interest from aboard.

Our Water For Good Plan, for example, has received considerable recognition and attention internationally as a highly innovative policy for water security. Countries including the United States, India and China are increasingly looking to South Australia to assist them to address various water related issues. As a result, many delegations have come to South Australia over the past five years to learn from our experience. It is a real honour for the state to receive this award for Excellence in Water Management.

As I said, Mr Frank Brennan, the presiding member of the South-East Natural Resources Management Board has been quoted as saying:

The national award recognises the foresight, leadership and innovation of the Board, the Department and the many staff who provided the scientific, planning and community engagement experience to develop this program.

I join Mr Frank Brennan in congratulating all those involved in developing this groundbreaking program. I would like to, in particular, thank the South-East community and the industries whose input and support has ensured the success of this groundbreaking water program.