Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wakefield for his question. It is the case that hot and dry conditions have kept Murray inflows at historic lows and, regrettably, there is a low likelihood of significant improvement over the next few months. It is the case that the CSIRO, in its whole-of-basin sustainable yields report, did show that the Murray-Darling Basin and its environment will bear the brunt of future likely impacts of climate change and continuing weather patterns in south-eastern Australia, which see hotter conditions and drier conditions as a whole. The government have been consistent and decisive about what is needed to address this issue, and it is a serious issue. The government are investing $3.1 billion in purchasing water entitlements and some $5.8 billion in modernising irrigation infrastructure. We have purchased water from rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin for the first time ever and brought forward half a billion dollars to accelerate our water purchase program.

We have secured a historic referral of powers from the states and passed legislation to deliver the first ever basin-wide plan in 2011. We are committed to projects worth $3.7 billion across the basin to improve water efficiency in irrigation and recently provided $5.6 million for on-farm water efficiency pilot projects and some $2 million from the Healthy Headwaters Program for on-farm irrigation technology. In difficult times, the government is getting on with this delivery.

I am asked by the member: what has the response been to these measures? I have to say that the response has been pretty confusing, because the coalition has had 12 different positions on the issue of Murray-Darling Basin water. Let us count the 12 positions. They like counting things out over there, so let us count them. Position 1 was the member for Flinders supporting the government’s buyback. He said, on 29 April 2008:

We are pleased that … they’re involved in the buyback..

Position 2 was on the same day when, at a doorstop, he said:

The buyback won’t help at all. It won’t help the Murray. It can’t help the Murray unless you make the efficiencies.

Then, in position 3, he said in a media release that the buybacks are extreme, mentioning:

Penny Wong’s plans to rip the heart out of country Australia through her extreme farm buy-out plans.

To add to the confusion, other opposition members who have a different view on what water policy should be have weighed in. The member for Calare said:

Minister Wong’s announcement of a $50 million water buyback is politics not policy.

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