Water Buybacks

In reply to the Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().18 May 2023).

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:

1. Yes.

2. On behalf of the South Australian community, the state government's biggest concern remains the lack of delivery against key environmental water recovery targets that were committed to back in 2012-13, especially the lack of progress against the final 450 GL, which was supposed to be delivered by 30 June 2024.

What we can't accept is not delivering the plan, because if we don't have a healthy working basin, then we don't have ongoing primary production in the Murray-Darling Basin and we don't have thriving communities.

Inaction from the previous federal government and other southern basin states, as well as the introduction of the complex and unworkable socio-economic criteria for efficiency measures, has resulted in only 12 GL being recovered towards the 450 GL as at 31 March 2023.

3. Given the wide range of economic and social factors affecting water prices, no responsible commentator should try to predict the potential effect of one factor on prices over time.