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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-25 Daily Xml
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WATER, ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:36): My question is for the Minister for Water Security. Why did the government dismiss the recommendation of the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation in 2003 to purchase water for environmental flows? FOI documents recently released reveal that the department had recommended to the government the purchase of water as a long-term strategy for environmental flows at a cost of between $1 million and $1.2 million per gigalitre. The suggested initial investment was for five gigalitres, with a maximum cost at that time of some $6 million—about half of what it costs today.

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (15:37): I find this a very interesting question, given that the opposition and the former federal government actually opposed the purchase of water from willing sellers right up to January last year. January last year was the first time that the federal government considered that the purchase of water from willing sellers was a legitimate way to get water back into the environment.

Prior to that, the South Australian government has consistently supported the purchase of water from willing sellers. In fact, in the Living Murray Initiative, where the South Australian government put up $65 million towards the first step to return 500 gigalitres to the River Murray by 2009, the South Australian government has been in the market—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: —purchasing water. We have been in the market purchasing water, and we continue to do so.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Attorney will come to order!

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Attorney will come to order! The member for Unley.

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