Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan Review

96 The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().7 September 20227 September 2022). Can the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water advise—

1. Will the review of the 2013 Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan slow down the timetable for delivering the final Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan that was in place prior to the 2022 election?

2. What funding been allocated in the 2022-23 budget or over the forward estimates for the review?

3. What is the estimated total cost of the review?

4. Who will conduct the review?

5. Will the terms of reference for the review be made public?

6. When will the review commence?

7. Will all water stakeholders be consulted during the review?

8. When is the review expected to be completed?

9. Will a report be provided to the minister?

10. Will the report be made public?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Climate, Environment and Water has advised:

1. No.

2. Funding to support the review process comes from the Limestone Coast Landscape Board. These funds support staff resources, stakeholder and community consultation and additional studies required to support the review. The scale of investment needed will depend on whether the plan is required to be amended.

3. Additional funding of $800,000 was allocated in the 2021-22 Mid-Year Budget Review to support the groundwater modelling and monitoring required to update the science that supports the plan. The funding accelerates the review of the current plan, which means that any amendment, if required, can be bought into effect earlier.

4. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board.

5. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board has a dedicated Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan review project page available at: Stakeholder Advisory… | Landscape South Australia—Limestone Coast to enable the public to follow the progress of the review. It also specifies that the purpose of the evaluation of the current water allocation plan is to review:

The principles in the plan

The success of the plan considering the outcomes it sought to achieve

Provide an assessment of whether the water allocation plan remains appropriate or requires amendment

Assess or address any other matters prescribed by the regulations.

6. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board publicly announced the commencement of the review on 12 July 2022.

7. Extensive communication has already occurred, including letters to all licence holders, industry peak bodies, councils and key government entities. An open expression of interest process for membership on a stakeholder advisory group was also announced with the terms of reference, role of the stakeholder advisory group and process to select the Group publicly available. Membership of the stakeholder advisory group was announced on 5 September 2022 and includes members who represent the diversity of community, environment, primary production and industry in the Lower Limestone Coast.

The review is currently scheduled to conclude in December 2023, with reports to be made available to the minister and the general public shortly after. Should the review find that amendment to the current plan is required, the amendment process will commence in 2024.