Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance and Administration (Senator Minchin) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to water resources.

Scientists have estimated that, for there to be a good chance of recovery for the Murray River, 3,500 gigalitres of water is needed. The compromise that was reached by state and federal governments was 500 gigalitres, and that only provided a chance halfway between moderate and poor of saving the Murray River. At the moment, all that has been identified is 310 gigalitres, which is a long way off 500 gigalitres and a very long way off—in fact, less than a tenth—of what is needed for a good chance of recovery for the Murray River. Today we had the water summit and what we had was more of a talkfest: ‘We’re going to’—supposedly—‘speed-up the National Water Initiative and a group will come back with some suggestions by the end of the year,’ one of which may be to drain wetlands.

I would have thought that if we are trying to save the Murray, the essential thing we need to be doing is save the environmental flows of the Murray and save its environmental characteristics, which are our wetlands. Already, the Gwydir Wetlands are receiving around 75 per cent less water than they should be receiving. In fact, an article in the paper—yes, I am reading the paper and taking advice from the paper—said, ‘The farmers of the Gwydir are asking the federal government to take it off the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance because it no longer has values.’ That is an absolute tragedy. Further, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature will be taking up this matter with the Ramsar secretariat. They believe it is unprecedented that a group of landowners would ask for a wetland to be removed from the Ramsar list because it is not being managed properly. I am very pleased to hear that the government will not be considering draining wetlands, but I would also like to hear—