Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-19 Daily Xml

Contents

McLaren Vale Prescribed Wells

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:24): You are reflecting on the President.

The PRESIDENT: Just to make it quite clear, I will make the decision whether it is a supplementary or not. The Hon. Ms Lensink.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Hear, hear! Indeed, you do, Mr President. I seek leave to make an explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Water and the River Murray on the subject of the McLaren Vale Prescribed Wells.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I have been contacted by some of the irrigators in the McLaren Vale Prescribed Wells area who normally receive their water allocation fairly early in the new financial and water year, including whether they are entitled to rollover credits for unused water from previous years. I understand that many irrigators in that area have been using less water and should be entitled to rollover credits, and I understand that there are also penalties for anyone who overuses their allocation, specifically that that amount over their allocation will revert to SA Water pricing which, as we all know, is pretty unaffordable for just about any South Australian. Given that we have had a dry start to the season, my questions to the minister are:

1. Can he advise when those irrigators will receive their allocation advice?

2. What gains does he believe have been made through the levy since the area has been prescribed?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:26): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. I cannot answer the question at this point in time. I will have to take it on notice and bring back a response.