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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-31 Daily Xml
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MURRAY-DARLING BASIN PLAN

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:05): My question is to the Premier. What action is being taken to strengthen our capacity to fight for a basin plan that delivers on a healthy River Murray?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:05): I thank the member for this question. She, I think like many right-thinking South Australians, is outraged about the way in which we have been treated over decades by the upstream states. Everybody in South Australia knows that we have been dudded in relation to this river and they look to their government to stand up and fight, and that is what we are choosing to do. We are strengthening our efforts to raise community awareness around the inadequacy of the revised plan and are calling for even stronger community backing to help us bring pressure to bear to make changes to that plan. That is the name of the game at the moment—to bring pressure to bear on the commonwealth decision-making process.

I am pleased to be able to advise the house that, just within two days of our commencing the Fight for the Murray campaign, 750 people have signed up to be part of it, and we are going to continue to grow that campaign effort. We will invite those opposite to join with us in being part of this campaign.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop, order! There will be no arguments across the floor. It is an important day. Order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Norwood, order, or you will leave the chamber! Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: On behalf of the government, I thank them for responding so swiftly and encourage more people to join by visiting www.fightforthemurray.com.au. Within government, we are focusing our resources on the fight ahead. Mr Scott Ashby, former chief director of the Department for Water, will take up a new position as chief executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Taskforce. This team will bring together government experts to focus squarely on the next steps in the basin plan development process and will support the community campaign to fight for the Murray. The South Australian government has already done substantial work to understand the implications of the basin plan for irrigators, for the environment, for critical human water needs—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I must say it does surprise me that the member for Chaffey so quickly holds up the white flag on behalf of his own irrigation community.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: There are 971 gigalitres sitting out there, yet to be allocated, which could be coming right at the Riverland irrigators, and what do they do? Haul up the white flag! They haul up the white flag on behalf of South Australia. Don't empower me to negotiate on behalf of this state to get the best deal for this state: don't empower me to stand up for the irrigators. I am prepared to stand up for the irrigators: why won't you?

We delivered to the authority a 160-page submission detailing 71 recommendations for change. These recommendations included fair treatment for our irrigators and protection of our environmentally and internationally recognised Coorong wetlands and Chowilla flood plains. They were the result of extensive community consultation and rigorous financial analysis. These are the things that most South Australians—indeed, all Australians—support. This is why we are not prepared to accept second best or, in the words of the member for MacKillop, a Mazda rather than a Rolls Royce, and be prepared to roll around in a Mazda. The new Murray-Darling plan task force team will play a critical part in that effort, and we call on all South Australians to stand with us in this important fight.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Bragg, order! The Leader of the Opposition.

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