SA Water Infrastructure

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Water and the River Murray a question about South Australian government- owned water infrastructure.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Primary producers in the South-East right now are suffering unnecessary and severe floodwater inundation after the recent heavy rains because the South-East drainage system has been inadequately maintained and managed. Some farmers raised the alarm with government officials several weeks ago, advising that if the regulatory mitigation management practices were not implemented immediately, given the high wetting of the soil and the rainfall projections, that there would be significant damage to their farms. They let the relevant people know that the system was not up to the task of removing moving water from farmland, but they advised me that they were ignored. Now many are facing the reality of the excess water on their land, not only causing ongoing damage, but also advising myself that they may receive serious potential crop losses as a result. My questions to the minister are:

1. Now that the inadequacy of the system can no longer be ignored, will the minister finally admit that the government needs to inject more funds into the South-East drainage system to make sure that it is adequately maintained year in and year out? And this is rather than simply sending out a spokesperson's comments that the government puts in $2.2 million a year. We are not interested in that, we are interested in the other $5 million or $6 million that they should be putting in each year. So, what is the minister going to do regarding, first, the proper management of mitigation, and, secondly, the ongoing maintenance, and now serious deterioration, of the drains?

2. Has the government sought legal advice to see whether they are liable for damage to crops because of the mismanagement of the system? And I want an answer on this please, minister. I ask you, Mr President, to ensure that the minister actually answers my questions for a change, instead of just reading some nonsense that the department has written for him.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:13): I thank the honourable minister for his most interesting question. It is totally full of fallacy, totally ignorant of the situation in the South-East—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —and I've got to say somewhere off in a fantasy land type trip of his own. The honourable member knows particularly well the government's position on this. The government puts in $2.2 million every year into the South-East Drainage Board.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: It's not enough.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The honourable member says it's not enough, and that's fair enough, Mr President. If that's his view then he can put his hand in his own pocket and contribute some extra money himself. The state government contributes $2.2 million every year to the South-East Drainage Board to manage the drainage system. It's fair enough, given the taxpayer support, for a drainage system that makes that area so much more productive in agricultural terms. Those people who get a direct financial benefit from that drainage system also contribute to the management of that drainage system. They get a direct financial personal benefit.

In consideration of the uplift to the state gross product that comes out of the agricultural produce in the region, that is why the state government puts in $2.2 million. We recognise that we have a commitment. We recognise that we need to make that commitment, and we do it every single year, but those people who make a direct personal financial benefit also need to consider, if they want more spent on the drainage system, how they will share in that burden, because, after all, they get a direct benefit.