Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move opposition amendments (1) to (10) on sheet 2 and amendments (1) to (5) on sheet 1 together:

Sheet 2—

(1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (lines 1 and 2), omit paragraph 86AD(2)(b).

(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 9), omit "or (b)".

(3) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (after line 14), after subsection 86AD(3), insert:

(3A) To avoid doubt, subsection (2) does not permit amounts standing to the credit of the Water for the Environment Special Account to be debited for the purpose of purchasing water access rights in relation to Basin water resources.

(4) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 17), omit "or purchase".

(5) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 17), omit "or (b)".

(6) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 18), omit "or purchase".

(7) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 24), omit "or purchase".

(8) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 28) to page 7 (line 6), omit section 86AE.

(9) Schedule 1, item 2, page 8 (line 19) to page 9 (line 3), omit paragraph 86AI(2)(b), substitute:

(b) achievements against those objectives and priorities;

(10) Schedule 1, items 3 to 5, page 9 (line 28) to page 10 (line 9), omit the items.

Sheet 1—

(1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (line 22), at the end of subsection 86AA(1), add "while achieving neutral or beneficial socio economic outcomes".

(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 4 (line 7), at the end of subsection 86AA(2), add:

  ; (h) investing in water efficient infrastructure and other on farm works.

(3) Schedule 1, item 2, page 6 (line 2), at the end of paragraph 86AD(2)(b), add ", but only if such purchases achieve neutral or beneficial socio economic outcomes".

(4) Schedule 1, item 2, page 7 (after line 6), after section 86AE, insert:

86AEA Limit on purchase of water access rights

     The total amount of water access rights purchased by, or on behalf of, the Commonwealth since 2009, whether with amounts debited from the Water for the Environment Special Account or otherwise for the purposes of the Basin Plan, must not exceed 1500 gigalitres.

(5) Schedule 1, item 2, page 9 (after line 11), after paragraph 86AI(2)(c), insert:

  (ca)   for all water recovery for which an amount was debited from the Water for the Environment Special Account during the report year for the purposes of paragraph 86AD(2)(b)—how that recovery achieved a neutral or beneficial socio economic outcome;

For five years, Australia has had a choice between a once-in-a-century replumbing and a buyout of rural Australia. At the last minute, this government has finally agreed to the replumbing rather than the buyout. These amendments guarantee a replumbing rather than a buyout; no general buybacks to achieve the 450 gigalitres; neutral or beneficial socioeconomic outcomes; a 1,500-gigalitre buyback cap; and adequate reporting. If the government does not pass these amendments, our commitment is that we will do so in government. We expect the government to support them. We guarantee a once-in-a-century replumbing, not a buyout of rural Australia.

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