Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Communities on the South Coast have had to deal with water restrictions from the drought at the same time as the bushfire crisis. Local and state governments committed to funding the Eurobodalla dam in October last year, but the federal government still hasn't come to the table. Given that the building of dams has ground to a halt under this government, why hasn't the government gotten on with this one?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask members to cease interjecting. I am going to ask the member for Griffith to repeat the last sentence of her question. I couldn't hear it and neither could the Prime Minister.

Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the building of dams has ground to a halt under this government, why hasn't the government gotten on with this one?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Building of dams under this government has actually gone ahead at a great pace, more than those opposite could ever imagine. In north-east Tasmania, Scottsdale has been started and finished and is due for full commission. We will look at Eurobodalla, certainly. But the New South Wales government prioritises dam projects, as does Queensland. We would have already had Stanthorpe started, the Emu Swamp Dam, had the Queensland done all the necessary tick-offs when we put up the more than $40 million for that particular project. Thankfully, they have come on board with $18½ million. We have added to our $42 million with $8 million in enabling roads. We are the government that will build dams.

We established the National Water Grid in October last year to do just that. We want to make sure that we properly plumb this nation to help with the changing climate, to help with our agriculture, to help even indeed with what is a state responsibility, and that is urban water supply. It will do all of that and much more. It will create tens of thousands of jobs. We've got $3.5 billion on the table for grants and loans. The National Water Grid is going to get on with the job, with the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, to build dams. If there is one thing that needs to be a legacy of this parliament, it is the fact that we need to build more dams, to build climate resilience and to help remote communities. We will get on with that job. It is unfortunate that most of the dams over recent years—the last 20 or so years—have been built in Tasmania. We need more dams for mainland Australia and we are getting on and we are doing it.

When those opposite were in power they just wanted to take water away from our irrigators. We want to give them more water. We do that by capturing water when it falls—and heavens knows we've had a lot of it just this weekend. We want to make sure that when water falls, whether it is in the north or wherever it is in the country, we can capture it, store it, harness it and harvest it when it is dry. Even, I'm sure, the Greens leader, the former ALP branch member, would understand that.

There's nobody more committed to building dams than our regional members on this side of the House, because we understand the great economic capacity it will be for our nation—the great economic boost it will be for our regional areas. We will get on with the job. We are getting on with the job. We've got dam projects and we've got water infrastructure projects right across this nation. We've got Myalup, Wellington, in Western Australia. We've got the Big Rocks Weir, the Hells Gate Dam and the Urannah Dam schemes in North Queensland. We've got the Hughenden and the McAllister schemes. There's Dungowan in the member for New England's electorate. (Time expired)