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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-08-29 Daily Xml
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Murray-Darling Basin Agreement

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:42): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier update the house on changes to the River Murray basin plan agreement and the federal Water Act?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (14:43): I am absolutely delighted to bring the house up to date with the changes that are underway at present.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Take Victoria's side—good plan! The idea of the plan was to be able to allocate sufficient water to environmental flow in order to have a healthy working river, a sustainable Murray-Darling Basin, so that we can continue to use it long into the future. What was agreed was 3,200 gigalitres—at the very lowest level of what scientists would say is sufficient but, nonetheless, that is what was agreed.

What was taken off that 3,200 gigalitres was 605 that was to be delivered through various infrastructure projects that would provide the environmental benefit that was regarded as equivalent to 605 gigalitres. That 605 was transferred back into the consumptive pool. Of those, we are, as the Eastern States of Australia, massively behind. Possibly around 300 gigalitres of equivalent water have been delivered, although the Murray-Darling Basin Authority is working through that.

Then there is the 450 gigalitres. The 450 gigalitres was signed up to, is part of the plan, and all we have delivered is around 26 gigalitres—at least we have had contracted; not all of that has even been transferred over to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. What has happened is that we have a plan that has essentially delivered about 2,100 gigalitres plus whatever we finally work out the 605 measures have delivered and, as I said, about 26 gigalitres eventually, by next year, of the 450.

What has become abundantly clear—in fact. it has been clear for a number of years—is that we are not going to reach the deadline with the full delivery of the plan. Despite politicians from both sides for many years saying, 'On time and in full,' it has become clear that is simply impossible. That is really for three reasons, and one is active sabotage.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: The other states and the federal National Party have actively sabotaged the delivery of this plan. They have done everything they can, including saying that with the 450 gigalitres being delivered by—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Florey! The member for Chaffey is warned for a second time.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: There was 2.5 when the last government, your government, left office, 2.5 with the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, and now there is about 26 that has been contracted.

However, importantly not only was there active sabotage, particularly led by the federal National Party and colluded with by the other states New South Wales and Victoria, there was also a degree of naivety, of optimism, from the other side when they were in government that if they just agreed to a bit more, if they just gave away a little bit more, then everyone would be nicer to us and then provide the water. Of course, that did not happen and was found to have been naive—to be generous—by a royal commission.

The other element is that the rules need to change. Simply extending the time does not give you any more sense that the water is going to come if you have the existing measures in place. The great breakthrough that has happened now is that the federal government has agreed they will change the law—if the commonwealth parliament allows us to do that—to enable voluntary selling of the water for the environment.

People on the other side have been devastated that Victoria is not involved and seem to think that the plan is in tatters. The plan is a legal instrument that belongs to the commonwealth parliament. If you are unaware of that, there is a news flash for you: the commonwealth parliament owns—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —the plan, not the Victorians—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —and if you are interested in supporting South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —you do not start sympathising with Victoria and saying it is somehow our fault that they have not signed a document.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: You say, 'It's time to act.' The Victorian people will be selling their water.

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