Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

As we approach the vote on this key piece of legislation, this should be a good day for our parliament and country. With the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023 we're taking another step in fulfilling our promise to the Australian people to deliver the Basin Plan in full. That's what this bill does. It offers more time, more options, more money and more accountability. With these changes, we are opening up the full suite of water recovery options. We'll be able to invest in on-farm water infrastructure, in land and water purchases and in other novel water recovery mechanisms where it's sensible to do so. We'll be able to count recovery above bridging the gap targets towards the 450 gigalitre target, and we'll be able to purchase water from willing sellers where it's needed to deliver the plan.

Water purchase is never the only tool in the box. It's not the first tool at hand, but it has to be one of them. The bill, as introduced, will improve transparency and accountability in the Basin Plan and for water markets. The government will now move important amendments to further strengthen this. We've listened to communities who want transparency, who want accountability and who want to see the Basin Plan delivered. These amendments ensure that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the ACCC, can enforce new information-gathering powers and add a civil penalty provision for contraventions. They will require the annual report of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance to be tabled in each house of parliament. The government amendments will also make minor changes to the role of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance and technical amendments following feedback from the Commonwealth and basin state agencies to ensure that the bill operates smoothly.

I also want to thank and recognise two members of the crossbench who will also move amendments that the government will be supporting. I recognise that the member for Mayo's amendments requiring an annual water recovery progress report to be tabled in parliament further strengthen the accountability and transparency of our proposals. Secondly, the member for Indi's amendment will ensure that the third independent review into the Water for the Environment Special Account includes reporting on the effectiveness of any socioeconomic programs funded out of the special account. We have received other amendments that we won't be supporting, but we'll go through those in detail later.

The member for Indi's amendments will also bolster the role of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance's audit powers to ensure accountability and reliability in basin water accounting methods. These amendments, together with the government's amendments, provide the flexibility and accountability needed to complete the Basin Plan and improve trust, transparency and the integrity of the basin's water markets. We are determined to see more water returned to the environment and the positive outcomes that this water can provide: more certainty for farmers, for communities and for the three million people who rely on this river system for their drinking water; more protection for our native plants and animals; and more hope for Australia's largest and most iconic river system.

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