Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister and relates to the role of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in signing off on water entitlement allocations to the six New South Wales valleys involved in the Achieving Sustainable Groundwater Entitlements program as recommended by the Groundwater Adjustment Advisory Committee some two months ago. I do not want to overdramatise the urgency of this decision, but the Prime Minister and the parliamentary secretary should be aware that irrigators are making critical planning decisions relating to their cropping activities on the basis of unknown water entitlements and need an urgent decision at government level. Could the Prime Minister or the parliamentary secretary update the House on progress relating to this issue.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will do my best. I will consult the parliamentary secretary at the end of question time. I am aware of the importance and urgency of this issue. I am also aware that there are still a number of taxation aspects that need to be resolved. They are in hand. I had a meeting with some people concerned in relation to this issue. Of course, the actual determination of the entitlements has something to do with the roles and responsibilities of the New South Wales government, as I think the honourable member for New England would be aware.

Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Windsor interjecting

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot quite pick that up. I will talk to you later. Let me simply assure the honourable gentleman that if there is anything further that needs to be done by the Commonwealth government to expedite the resolution of this matter I am quite sure that the member for Wentworth will do it.