House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-27 Daily Xml

Contents

MURRAY RIVER

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (17:46): I acknowledge the encouragement from the Government Whip. I would just like to take the last couple of minutes to capitalise on the excellent contribution by the member for Chaffey about the impact of water flowing down the river. What a great recovery the River Murray had last year with the confluence of water coming from both the northern Murray-Darling Basin and the southern Murray-Darling Basin.

Something happened that some people did not think they would see for another eight years, and it took very few months for it all to happen and to get water levels back up in the lower end of the river. The problems that we have had are the long and delayed time lines in getting rid of the Narrung bund. I believe that has finally disappeared—or at least, as the locals say, you cannot see it anymore. There is still a lot of silt under the water.

The Clayton bund will slowly be removed, and I hope that it will be removed by December this year because the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club wants to run its Goolwa-Milang regatta in January, around the Australia Day long weekend, and a week of events are proposed. At this stage the Department for Water people are advising that it will be done. Let us hope they get on with it for this area has suffered without having this event for the last five years, and it will be part of the rejuvenation of the area for that community. We also need this government to get on board and remove the Currency Creek bund so that the whole lakes system can come back to reality.


At 17:47 the house adjourned until Thursday 28 July 2011 at 10:30.