Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

on a range of options for water storages on northern New South Wales rivers, as has been discussed for decades, going right back to Dr Bradfield and before. They have narrowed it down to half a dozen more promising options, which are set out in the report with the hydrological data so that they can be the basis of further discussion. I have not received an invitation to visit the charming town that the honourable member referred me to but I have had a discussion very recently with the chief executive of Tweed Shire and we have discussed an appropriate time when I can get together with him and the other shires and councils in northern New South Wales.

The water security of northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland is in crisis at the moment. And you only have to look at what Peter Beattie is doing to see what a crisis it is in. We have to start thinking about water like Australians. We have to recognise that water does not recognise lines on a map. We have to think about our water security as Australians, and we have to have every option on the table. If what the honourable member for Richmond is saying is that not a drop of water should ever pass the border—

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