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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-29 Daily Xml
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MURRAY-DARLING BASIN

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:00): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier support the federal government's decision to resume water buybacks in the southern connected Murray-Darling Basin? The federal government's resumption of water buybacks in the southern Murray-Darling Basin is a breach of commitments given to a moratorium of buybacks until 2013 in the interests of irrigators and regional communities on the river system. This breach of trust has been roundly condemned by the state governments in New South Wales and Victoria, which have called on the federal government to direct its efforts into infrastructure improvements.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (15:00): The commitment that the federal government made at the last federal election was a very substantial one. It went way further than the commitment that was given by the Coalition parties, and it was a very important commitment for South Australia. Indeed, I think it might have found its way onto the front page of The Advertiser, so I can understand why those opposite might have missed it. It was that the federal Labor government would buy back the gap between the water that was needed to bring the River Murray to health and the present level of flows down the river. So, it was the commitment to bridge the gap, in a sense, in relation to water buybacks. That was the commitment the federal government made.

The truth is that there will be a need for us to engage in a combination of measures, whether they be the purchasing of water entitlements or the investment in infrastructure. The point South Australia has been consistently making is that the burden of adjustment should not fall on South Australia. Ninety-three per cent of the waters of the River Murray that are taken for consumptive use are taken by the upstream states. Seven per cent—

Mr Whetstone: That is not true.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, whose team are you on?

An honourable member: South Australia's.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: If you want to get onto South Australia's team, stick with the South Australian position, which is that the burden of adjustment to get a healthy river should not fall on South Australia. When I was up in the Riverland, standing next to the member for Chaffey, he pledged his commitment to take a united position with me in respect of the upstream states. I know that he has come back to town and been talked out of that by his colleagues, who are saying, 'No, stick with us, mate, because—'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: '—this isn't playing so well.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, sit down. Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will hear the—

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: We've got one person on their feet with a point of order. I don't need you yelling from the background, member for Kavel.

Mr WILLIAMS: Standing order 98. The Premier is clearly debating this matter, because he is struggling to understand what in the hell is going on. The question—

The SPEAKER: Thank you. You are now debating the point of order.

Mr WILLIAMS: —was about a moratorium promised by the federal government now overturned. That's what the question was about.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. You also debated the point of order. Premier, I direct you back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and, if I could not be interrupted by the member for Chaffey, I am happy to return to the substance. The substance is this: we need a healthy river, and that means that upstream interests are going to have to put back into the river that which they took. That is going to occur in two ways: there are going to be infrastructure improvements that release new water or there are going to be water buybacks. We support either of those mechanisms but none of them bearing the burden of adjustment on South Australia, its water users here, the cities, the industrial users or our irrigators, because we have done the right thing.

Since 1969, we have pegged our take from this river. We have consistently done the right thing by living within our means with this river. We simply ask those upstream to pay the same respect that we are paying to this river. It would assist me in those national negotiations if we had a united position and those opposite stood with me in the South Australian interest.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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