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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-10-26 Daily Xml
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WELLINGTON WEIR

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:11): I seek leave to make another ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I am pleased to confirm to the house and the public of South Australia that a weir will not be built near Wellington in this term of government, and probably never. It will not happen, and we never wanted it to happen. It was only ever going to be a last resort measure to protect the drinking water supplies of over one million South Australians—city and country. For that reason, we make no apologies for undertaking the necessary preparations should the weir have had to be built if that worst-case scenario was realised.

Thankfully, it has not been realised. While the government was making preparations for the weir, we were also taking measures to make sure that it was not necessary. In 2009, the government announced that it would provide a 170 gigalitre Lower Lakes Environmental Reserve to manage salinity and also acid in the lakes. This was delivered in full earlier this year. During the election campaign we committed to another 170 gigalitre environmental reserve, which has already been accumulated.

While our efforts were important in pushing the need for the weir back for another year, we were extremely fortunate to have one of the wettest years in the history of the Murray-Darling Basin. The Lower Lakes have received many hundreds of billions of litres of water from floods in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria—with more still to come. In fact, the Lower Lakes are full for the first time since 2005, and there has been a natural flow through the Murray Mouth for the first time since 2002.

These improved conditions mean that we will not need to build a weir in this term of government, and probably never will, even taking into account extreme worst-case scenario modelling. Beyond that, we look forward to the benefits of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which will start to flow from 2014, because we should not have to rely on major flood events to save the Lower Lakes and protect our drinking water supplies.

We need a system that is healthy from the mouth up. That is why we fought so hard for an independent authority to manage the river, based on science rather than on state borders, politics or greed. That is why we cannot lose sight of what the basin plan will deliver: a framework that secures a sustainable river system that supports food production, drinking water supplies and an internationally significant ecosystem over the long term.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority chair, Mr Mike Taylor AO, and the authority's chief executive, Rob Freeman, were in Adelaide yesterday as part of the authority's consultation process. I understand that they attended a forum at the National Wine Centre yesterday and today are holding a forum in Murray Bridge.

Mr Williams: Where were your ministers?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The deputy leader asks, 'Where were our ministers?' As part of their visit, the chair and chief executive addressed cabinet—addressed all of the ministers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I was impressed with their commitment to a genuine consultation process throughout the basin.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: For our part, I made it clear that South Australia expects sustainable diversion limits to be established, taking into account the efficiency investments and gains made by South Australian irrigators and, indeed, other irrigators elsewhere in the basin over several decades. We do not want to see our irrigators and our regions disadvantaged relative to those interstate by virtue of our good behaviour and investments. Can I just say this: it always pays, Mitch, because we have seen so many of your different statements on this issue, and you have members representing the Riverland saying different things to those down the other end of the river—get your facts right.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I point out to visitors in the gallery that it is against our rules for you to take photos in this chamber. Can you please put your cameras away. When we are sitting, it is not possible for you to take photos.

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