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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-07-29 Daily Xml
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South East Drainage Network Community Panel

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:30): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on the response to the South-East Drainage Network Community Panel.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The South-East Natural Resources Management NRM Board established a community panel to engage with the South-East community on the issue of finding a sustainable funding regime for the region's extensive drainage network. The South-East NRM Board engaged not-for-profit research organisation, newDemocracy Foundation, to establish a community panel in the style of a citizens' jury. The community panel was tasked with providing recommendations in response to the following two questions:

1. How shall we pay for maintaining our largest local infrastructure asset, the South-East drainage network?

2. The state government will commit $2.2 million per annum. Do we want to spend more than that and, if so, how do we fairly share this cost across the region?

The clear constraint for the community panel was that the government would not fund more than its budgeted amount of approximately $2.2 million per annum.

The community panel's role was to determine whether more cost recovery was required from the community and how that cost recovery would be equitably shared across the region. In March 2015 the community panel provided seven recommendations for the state government's consideration, including that the state government should pay for the ongoing maintenance of the South-East drainage network from state appropriation. The community panel also specifically opposed the introduction of a regional-based levy.

Other recommendations included the state government crediting the value of South-East water, which will be delivered to the Coorong via the South-East flows restoration project, in line with the market value of the Murray River water market prices and allocating the savings/funds directly from the maintenance of the South-East drainage network.

The community panel also recommended that, in consultation with affected stakeholders, the existing drainage network be scrutinised and assessed in order that drain maintenance is appropriately prioritised. As I publicly stated at the start of the community panel process, the government will not invest more than the current commitment of approximately $2.2 million per annum for the ongoing maintenance of the South-East drainage network. Therefore, this recommendation of the panel cannot be endorsed. The state government maintains its commitment to finding long-term maintenance solutions in partnership with the community.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The South-Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board and the South-East NRM Board will continue to work with the community in this regard.

The drainage network is managed by South-Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board under the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Act 1992. A review will be undertaken on how the South-East drainage network is operated and maintained. This review will be undertaken by the South-East NRM Board and the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board, working in partnership with the regional community. The South-East NRM Board will also maintain involvement in the sustainable diversion limit and water resources planning processes that are currently underway within the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin.

In response to the remaining recommendations, I have asked the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources to continue to work with the South-East NRM Board and the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board to seek opportunities to leverage funds from sources other than the state government, and to explore options for creating efficiencies, which will support the improved operation and maintenance of the South-East drainage network.

This will be supported by the collaborative development of the South-East drainage and wetland strategy to guide surface water management in the South-East, and to continue these important discussions with the South-East community. I appreciate the commitment of the community panel members throughout this process, and I wish to thank them for their collective contributions.

While it has not been possible to adopt or pursue all their recommendations, I wish to assure them that their efforts have been valued and will help shape a range of actions to ensure the long-term maintenance of the South-East drainage network. I table the report of the South-East community panel and the government's response as well.

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