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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-19 Daily Xml
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Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:33): I would like to continue my Address in Reply and touch on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, where I finished off. I want to make it very clear to the people in this chamber, and I want to make it clear to the people of South Australia, that I believe the federal opposition leader has misled the people of South Australia again and so has the Minister for Environment and Water in this place.

To tell people here in South Australia that they are going to fight for 450 gigalitres of water for the people of South Australia is incorrect. What I have to say is that the 450 gigalitres of water is for the Southern Connected Basin, and that is a very different answer from the spin we are hearing from both federal and state Labor.

The people of the Riverland have given up much as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan contribution back for environmental flows. What we have seen is that approximately 2,150 gigalitres of water—or 2,130 to be accurate—have been put back for environmental gains to give ourselves the best chance of having a healthy working river, yet we continue to hear from Labor the spin about how they are going to reintroduce buybacks. They are going to decimate communities along the river in South Australia.

The facts remain on the table. South Australia's contribution will be around 32 gigalitres of water as part of the 450 gigalitres of water for the southern connected system for some of that 32 gigalitres of water. I would ask every politician in this place and in the federal sphere to have a look at ways that we can achieve that water off farm. Look at environmental projects and look at ways we can better manage our wetlands. Look at ways we can better manage the Lower Lakes system and the estuaries. Look at ways we can achieve the 32 gigalitres of water so that we can give South Australia's contribution back to the environment and we can achieve the 32 gigalitres that has been allocated for South Australia to be part of the 450 gigalitres.

I want to make that very clear. I want that on the record, and I want the minister, when she comes in here, to actually apologise to the people of South Australia and to the people of this chamber, that she was wrong, that her talking about 450 gigalitres of water for South Australia is absolutely incorrect.

I move on and thank the people of Chaffey for the great work that they have done, the most efficient irrigators in South Australia. They have led the nation in water efficiency projects and programs. They have achieved best bang for buck. The return per megalitre of water is what we are seeing here in South Australia as an exemplar that should be used right around the Murray-Darling Basin.

I want to thank a few people with regard to the state election. I am very appreciative of the people and the support I had around me when it comes to a successful campaign. I want to thank all of my volunteers who gave up their time—on Stobie poles, on pre-polls and on election day—to hand out how-to-vote cards. It is a heartfelt thank you I say to everyone for their contribution: my party members, the volunteers, the community members and my staff, including a couple of young lads Josh and William who did an outstanding job. Staff at the Chaffey electorate office worked after hours to give me their time and their dedication to help me run a successful campaign.

The women in my life—my two beautiful daughters, Charlotte and Eliza; my partner, Della; my sister, Jenny; and my mother, Judy—did outstanding work, giving me support all along the way through that effort. My A team—great effort. Members of my executive—Terry, Michelle, Emily, Henry, Nicole, Ella and Tom—were the team that met late at night to give me the support, the hand, the strategy that we needed to make sure we had a successful campaign. Again, I thank them all for a successful campaign.

Also, it was remiss of me in my Address in Reply not to mention the former member for Stuart Dan van Holst Pellekaan. He was a great contributor to this place and, sadly, popularity won over capability. I want to say to Dan: well done. You represented the good people of Stuart for such a long time and your days came to an end in the 2022 election. Dan and Rebecca, you will be missed in this place.

I hope to see them socially somewhere soon so that we can talk about the good times, the great work in his contribution and also Rebecca's contribution not only as a support to Dan but also as a good friend to the Liberal family. They will be missed around this place. Vale, Dan, but we will see you somewhere soon. Thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution in my Address in Reply.

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