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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-05 Daily Xml
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KANGAROO ISLAND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER (15:15): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Environment and Conservation a question about the Kangaroo Island natural resources management plan.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER: The latest edition of the Stock Journal adds weight to the various letters I have received protesting about the draft natural resources management plan for Kangaroo Island. It states that on 16 February 135 Kangaroo Island residents voted against and one voted for the inception of that plan, and adds:

While a majority of farmers supported the need for a level of water management, major concerns were raised over the scientific data used to calculate the 25 per cent rule.

The 25 per cent rule appears to be exclusive to Kangaroo Island and allows for farmers to catch only 25 per cent of the runoff on their properties. The article further states:

But former CSIRO head of the Division of Water Resources, Graham Allison, questioned the scientific data used to determine water allocations that would only allow farmers to access 25 per cent of runoff water.

It appears that the data used for the models to arrive at this amount was actually taken from the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Barossa Valley. The article quotes Dr Allison as stating:

It is crucial the [Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management] Board bases its plan on good scientific analysis... Unfortunately [he says] that does not appear to be the case here—

and there has to be good baseline data. More concerning was that Jeanette Gellard, who is the CEO of the Natural Resources Management Board on Kangaroo Island, is quoted as saying:

The board has recognised that we don't have good data about local water resources so it was difficult to develop figures based on what has happened locally.

She went on to say:

...collecting local data was a high priority for the NRM Board but there would not be enough time to do so before [the natural resources management plan] was adopted.

My question is: will the minister reject the draft natural resources management plan and extend the time for sufficient data to be collected so that an accurate assessment of Kangaroo Island water resources needs and uses can be achieved?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for her important question and will refer it to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response.

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