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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-04 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

MURRAY RIVER

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:32): The ongoing crisis on the River Murray is no more evident than at the town of Goolwa and the surrounding Goolwa channel and lakes area. I bring to the attention of the house, again, the situation down that way, and I say to the house—

The SPEAKER: Order! Can members either leave the chamber or take a seat?

Mr PENGILLY: I say to the house that I am deeply concerned about where this is leading. I am deeply concerned with the environment, its lakes, the river and the Goolwa channel; and I am deeply concerned for the people down there who are in my electorate. They are a great people, they are a confident people, they are people who work extremely hard and they are people who are trying everything to get through what is taking place. It is beyond their control. They are frustrated beyond belief, and I do not know where this will finish. Twelve months ago we said, 'What happens if it doesn't rain this year?' Two years ago we said that. I am saying now, 'What will happen if it does not rain this winter? Where will this lead?'

What is really concerning them is that they do not seem to be getting any decisions from federal or state government. In fairness to her, the Minister for the River Murray attended a public meeting recently at Goolwa and sat through a morning with 200 or 300 people, and some of us just shook our heads in disbelief at the information that was presented.

I am deeply concerned about deteriorating relationships between people and authorities in that area. I have no doubt whatsoever that this has taken place further up the river. I believe that we are getting to the stage where close friendships and relationships that have been around for years are starting to fall apart at the seams.

Last Friday night I opened a new pro golf shop at the South Lakes Golf Club at Goolwa, which was attended by some 250 or 300 people. If anything is an inspiration it is the fact that a club such as that, which has no water and which is using mains water for its greens and tees—its fairways are almost non-existent—is still confident and looking to the future; and that does give one some inspiration. A considerable number of water-based businesses, marina operators and slip yard operators have just exhausted all possibilities. Businesses in the Goolwa-Currency Creek area are gutsy businesses; they do not give up. The Southern Alexandrina Business Association works extremely hard to try to keep people positive. People such as Mr John Clark, the President of that association, is giving an enormous amount of time in an effort to steer the community through what is such a difficult time.

If it was not bad enough that the river, the Goolwa channel and the lakes are in such a devastated position, what is going on in the rest of the world is almost enough to make one wonder what we are doing. It is absolutely beyond us. I get frustrated by the fact that instant experts from everywhere come down there and grab a bit of publicity. I am rather fed up with a couple of federal members, in particular, who seem to get the media opportunity all the time. The media does not seem to want to listen to local people or local politicians—they are just ignored—but federal senators poke their nose in where it is not really welcome, stir up a hornet's nest, then leave or drop in a comment at the appropriate time. This is beyond everything at present. If ever an area needed leadership and direction it is the Murray-Darling system. I understand and have a good deal of sympathy with the pressures that face our own government.

Time expired.

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