Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. It is now recognised that supply projects will only return a maximum of 425 of the 605 gigalitres, and efficiency projects will only return a maximum of 50 of the 450 gigalitres, by the planned statutory deadline. Will the government negotiate a Murray-Darling Basin Plan 2.0 to protect our river and the environment?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Mayo for her question. I know that she is absolutely committed to seeing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan delivered in full, as we are on this side. I know this is a particular issue for South Australians. Although there has been a lot of water in the system in the last couple of years, we know that the dry years are just around the corner again. That is why it is so important, for environmental reasons, for drinking water reasons, for economic reasons, for industrial development reasons and also for agricultural reasons to make sure that we are taking a sustainable amount of water out of the Murray-Darling Basin system.

Sadly, in the last decade before the change of government, we saw the Murray-Darling Basin Plan tied up in brown tape. We had a government, in those opposite when they were sitting on this side, who did everything they possibly could to sabotage the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You had a government that cared about farmers.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are not a lot of irrigators on the Gold Coast! They're not buying apartments on the Gold Coast! I'll go back to the member for Mayo's question, because it really is a very substantial question. We know that the infrastructure projects, if I can put it that way, that are supposed to return water to the system are behind time, are overbudget in some cases and won't deliver what they were originally said to deliver. It's also true that, of the 450 gigalitres of additional environmental water that is part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, just two of those gigalitres were delivered when we took over. We are a long way from delivering on the 450 gigalitres part of the plan as well. I can assure the member for Mayo that we are working very closely with state and territory governments across the Murray-Darling Basin system.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Complete misunderstanding! Hopeless!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cool it for the remainder of this question. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are a long way from delivering on the infrastructure-type projects. We are a long way from delivering on the 450 gigalitres, because so little was achieved under those opposite. In fact, about 80 per cent of all water that has been recovered towards the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was done when we were last in government and since we have come back to government. We are working very closely with the Murray-Darling Basin state ministers. I am hopeful that we will come to a resolution that delivers the plan in full. It is complex to do that, because we're starting from a very poor launch pad left to us by those opposite, but I know why the member for Mayo is so concerned, and I am— (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned. I specifically said no more interjections.