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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Water Recovery Socio-economic Criteria

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water.

The Hon. S.S. Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is warned.

Dr CLOSE: Did the minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Can I have the question from the start? Order, members on my left and right!

Mr Malinauskas: She is reading from the report you haven't read.

The SPEAKER: Notes are allowed.

Dr CLOSE: Did the minister read the final day of hearings in the royal commission, prior to the finishing of hearings? With your leave and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Dr CLOSE: On that final day of hearings, the senior counsel to the royal commissioner said:

…it seems as though Mr Littleproud, the current Commonwealth Minister For Agriculture and Water, and the New South Wales and Victorian Governments want an amendment made to the Basin Plan in relation to the definition of socio-economic impacts…

Then he says:

I'm going to come to those proposed changes because if they are made to the Basin Plan, then the little prospect of South Australia ever getting this 450 gigalitres becomes zero. Zero.

Members interjecting:

An honourable member: A point of order.

The SPEAKER: No, time has expired for a point of order. The member for Ramsay can leave for one hour. There were so many interjections then between the answer being given and the question being asked. That is completely unacceptable. The member for Ramsay can leave for an hour. She was not the only one. If this continues, more will be departing the chamber.

The honourable member for Ramsay having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Environment and Water has the call.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:23): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am aware of all the commentary provided by the royal commissioner and I simply disagree. I disagree because the royal commissioner is not someone who knows everything on this matter. There are many.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: This idea that a royal commissioner's view and opinion and findings and commentary—

The Hon. T.J. Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Primary Industries is warned.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —cannot be challenged is ridiculous. It is completely appropriate, completely the right thing to do—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Premier and Deputy Premier, please!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —to challenge opinions that we don't agree with.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: The opposition have no faith in our regional communities. They have no faith in the Riverland.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There's a point of order for debate?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, sir.

The SPEAKER: Please be seated again. The minister is being provoked by interjections on both sides. It is a bit rich to get that point of order up, but I will be listening carefully to ensure that he sticks to the substance of the question. Minister.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: The great demonstration of our ability to succeed across the basin when it comes to water efficiencies, on farm or off farm, is South Australia's Riverland. The food producers there have demonstrated that they can achieve what New South Wales and Victoria have been asked to and have agreed to achieve, so they can do that. We have a model in the Riverland. We believe in those food producers. They—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: We set it up. We did that. That was our model.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: We have that model, and New South Wales and Victoria can follow that model. They can embrace the culture that has been proven in the Riverland over many, many decades. I have no understanding why the opposition can't back the food producers in the Riverland.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Cannot back them. They were unable to deliver any extra water for those food producers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: They were unable to deliver any extra water for our natural environment—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —and their complete misunderstanding of the negotiations and the deal done on 14 December, which will deliver water. It will deliver water across the border. Time will prove this deal correct.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before I go to the member for Flinders, the member for Badcoe can also leave for half an hour.

The honourable member for Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Thank you. The member for Flinders and then the deputy leader.

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