Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how is the government getting on with the job of securing the future of the Murray-Darling Basin?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Makin for his question, raising as it does a very important issue that the government has addressed in the past week—another policy matter, and so it has fallen to the member for Makin, to the government, to ensure that this matter is raised in this parliament, because, from the opposition, apart from reckless negativity, apart from their tired old fear campaigns, there has been no examination today of public policy issues for the nation: Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook—no, didn't want to deal with the details of that; the future of our nation and how we will strengthen our economy and have jobs and opportunity in this century of growth and change—no, didn't want to deal with that. And I am not surprised that they did not want to deal with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and what we are doing to ensure the health of the Murray.

I was very pleased on Friday to be in South Australia with the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and the Premier of South Australia, making a landmark announcement about the health of the Murray. This is of course of supreme interest to people in South Australia, but this is a truly national issue, given the significance of the Murray-Darling Basin to all of us.

The government has announced that we will deliver 450 gigalitres of extra water to assist with environmental outcomes for the Murray. Many members in this parliament would be familiar with the work of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the work it is doing to deliver a plan with 2,750 gigalitres of water. Some members of this parliament would be familiar with the modelling that has been done to show the environmental outcomes that can be achieved through a return to the river of 3,200 gigalitres.

We have announced a plan that will access the 450 gigalitres. We have announced a plan to give the environmental outcomes that, the modelling shows, comes with 3,200 gigalitres. What does that mean? Put simply, it means the mouth of the Murray will be open, it means the Lower Lakes will be in better health, it means there will be water for the river red gums and it means there will be more security and peace of mind for the people of South Australia. We know is that the words of those opposite depend upon what side of the border they stand on. They say something different in South Australia to what they say upstream. Their days of being able to peddle a double message are fast coming to an end. They will need to make a choice in this House. They will need to decide whether to vote to resolve this national issue and whether the South Australians amongst them will vote for an outcome for South Australia. We await, with interest, to see what the opposition will do.