Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As people in this chamber know, I proudly represent an agricultural area called Werribee South, where we have growers who proudly grow vegetables to supply the state of Victoria. It's an area of national significance. And I was proud to go cap in hand to the Minister for Water in Victoria some two years ago to talk to her about the regeneration we need in our irrigation area. The Victorian government's come good. It's committed $10.4 million to the Werribee irrigation district. The growers have come good through Southern Rural Water. They've funded $10.4 million for the Werribee irrigation district. All that's left is for this government to come to the party and fund the growers of Werribee South what they deserve.

Our infrastructure is losing 40 per cent of its fresh water every day because this government sits on its backside. We originally wrote to the member for New England. Then it was the Prime Minister's responsibility. Now we're not sure. We're not sure now whether it's the responsibility of the member for Riverina or the member for Maranoa. But somebody promised that they'd get back to us in February. What month is it? What month is it today, Mr Deputy Speaker? We are still waiting to see if we've been successful in the second round of the water infrastructure fund. I call on the government to get serious, do their day job—stop fighting amongst yourselves—and get some funds to Werribee South.