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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and relates to the upgrade of Chaffey Dam in my electorate. Given the Deputy Prime Minister’s recent statements that the Prime Minister’s $10 billion water plan will not affect dam upgrades for communities in the Murray-Darling system, and given that the New South Wales government and other stakeholders have committed $22 million to a safety and capacity upgrade costing a total of $28 million, will the Deputy Prime Minister commit to the $6 million requested by the Chaffey Dam reference panel for this much-needed project?

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware of the issue the member for New England raises. From what I have seen in the media, the New South Wales government today committed about $4 million for this project whereas the opposition in New South Wales has committed $14 million or $15 million to the upgrade of the Chaffey Dam. As this dam sits on the upper reaches of the Murray-Darling Basin system, the best way that the water can be found to put into the dam after it is upgraded is through the efficiency savings of the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian and Queensland governments supporting our $10 billion water plan. We are going to invest $6 billion in efficiency savings throughout the network as well as $3 billion to address the issue of overallocation. It is important that the states shoulder their responsibilities in these areas.

I know the member for New England takes a great deal of interest in these things, but he really should stop being an apologist for the New South Wales Labor government. Urban water responsibilities belong to the states. Chaffey Dam supplies urban water to Tamworth, as he knows. The Labor government in New South Wales has committed only $4 million to this project; the opposition parties in New South Wales have committed all the money for this project.