House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-08 Daily Xml

Contents

MURRAY RIVER, DROUGHT COMPLIANCE

In reply to Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (28 October 2010).

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water): I am advised that:

1. The Department for Water Drought Compliance Team was established specifically to ensure sustainable and lawful use of water taken from the River Murray during severe drought.

As the drought eased it was deemed that some of the additional staff employed to provide compliance and enforcement services around extraction from the River Murray could be released and responsibility for monitoring and compliance integrated into existing programs.

Although the Drought Compliance Team has now been disbanded, the Department for Water has 17 staff working within existing licensing, asset management, hazard management and investigations programs who are involved on a daily basis in monitoring, reporting, investigating and responding to licensing compliance and river bank collapse issues.