Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to commend the Senate, which yesterday decided to set up a select committee on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. This was put by Senator Day, a senator for South Australia. I also am very pleased with the terms of reference that have been listed to guide this particular reference. They include the implementation of the plan; its progress; its costs, especially those related further implementation; and its direct and indirect effects on agricultural industries, local businesses and community wellbeing, which picks up on the fact that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was always expected to be a balance of the environment, the economy and the community's wellbeing. It has been lost along the way, sadly. But I am so pleased the Senate is going to look at just how this balance is being achieved.

They are going to look at any evidence of environmental changes to date and the effectiveness or the appropriateness of the planned Constraints Management Strategy. At last, we are going to have the words which so many people dare not speak put out into the open air. The Constraints Management Strategy was a Labor-Green urgent, political fix by Gillard and Premier of South Australia in the dying days the Gillard government. Julia Gillard, the then Prime Minister, was hoping for a sign-off by all states and she found that the Premier of South Australia was backing off, saying, 'No, I just want more water. There's not enough water for me. I know the rest of the states have agreed and are about to sign-off, but there should be more water for me.' So this 450 gigalitre extra volume of water was put into legislation and rushed through without consultation.

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