Environmental Regulation

In reply to the Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) ().28 September 2022).

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries): The Minister for Climate, Environment and Water has advised:

South Australia has committed to the National Water Initiative including implementing a 'user-pays' approach to cost recovery for water planning and management.

Water planning improves our knowledge and understanding of climate impacts on water availability, which helps businesses and communities plan for the future.

Water users benefit from effective water management including protecting their access to water from other developments and holding a water licence that can be traded and mortgaged, potentially enabling access to billions of dollars of investment capital.

The Landscape South Australia Act 2019 provides extensive provisions regarding expenditure and revenue for the annual activities of landscape boards in both annual business plans and annual reports. This includes the requirement to document the water levies raised in their landscape regions and expenditure in their annual reports.

Since the introduction of the Landscape South Australia Act 2019, land and water levies are capped and there has not been any increase to land and water levies above CPI.