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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-24 Daily Xml
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MURRAY RIVER WATER ALLOCATIONS

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Water. Can the minister advise whether a full entitlement allocation of 1,850 gigalitres to South Australia will guarantee River Murray irrigators 100 per cent water allocation?

In recent days, the Murray Darling Basin Authority has indicated that South Australia will start the 2011-12 season with a guaranteed minimum allocation of 1,850 gigalitres. In the past, an allocation of 1,850 gigalitres has meant that irrigators received their full entitlement. Can the minister confirm that he will give River Murray irrigators 100 per cent of entitlement on 1 July 2011?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister for Water.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for his question. He might have well been at meetings, because he does lob at many of the meetings that I have had in the Riverland, and I appreciate and welcome that. I have previously said—and I think the figure I was using is the 99 per cent chance. And I would remind the opposition—but I think the member for Chaffey is aware of this anyway—that we do have some agreements with other states about when announcements will be made.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, we abide by what those agreements are, and we will change agreements through negotiation when it is appropriate to do so.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, we will not go over there to a meeting in Canberra without making an appointment, and I will not go over there and give them headlocks. We will do that through the appropriate processes that we as a government will do. Quite frankly, I have already answered that question publicly and will continue to do so. Should we receive (which it is most likely that we will) 1,850 gigalitres, irrigators and, in fact, the users will get their entitlements.

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