Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-15 Daily Xml

Contents

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: ANNUAL REPORT

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (16:02): I move:

That the 24th report of the committee be noted.

This is the 24th report of the Natural Resources Committee in what has been a very busy year for the committee. Over the course of the reporting period, the committee undertook a number of interesting inquiries that have had far-reaching implications, some of which are yet to be brought to the attention of the parliament. I am pleased to present to the parliament the annual report of the Natural Resources Committee for the period July 2007 to June 2008.

Very briefly, I will outline some of the activities undertaken by the committee during the reporting period. The Natural Resources Committee has undertaken its statutory responsibilities as defined in the Natural Resources Management Act 2004, considering five NRM plans and levies for 2008-09, plus a further four for the preceding 2007-08 year for various NRM boards around the state.

The committee has undertaken four inquiries into natural resources management on Kangaroo Island, natural resources management on Eyre Peninsula, Upper South-East dry land salinity and the Murray-Darling Basin. Considerable time has also been spent following up the previous Deep Creek inquiry, with some very interesting results. Two inquiries remain ongoing: the Upper South-East and the Murray-Darling Basin, and we anticipate tabling further reports on these matters in this council soon.

I wish to thank all those who gave their time to assist the committee with this inquiry. I also commend the members of the committee—the Hon. Graham Gunn MP, the Hon. Sandra Kanck MLC, the Hon. Steph Key MP, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer MLC, the Hon. Lea Stevens MP and John Rau MP, who is also the Presiding Member—for their contributions and support, and they have worked cooperatively throughout the inquiries. Finally, I thank the staff of the committee for their assistance.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.