Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a senator for South Australia, I am very happy to support this amendment. As a senator for South Australia, I continue to support weaning Adelaide off the Murray. It is only responsible to aim at having those population centres that have water-sourcing choices, choices as to from where they get their water beyond the Murray, exercise those choices. For a city like Adelaide, when Adelaide is not even on the Murray, to continue to resort to the Murray for up to 80 per cent of the city’s water use in some years is a scenario that is inappropriate to be continued over time, given the current and future situations of the Murray-Darling Basin and the lack of choices that other communities in the Murray-Darling Basin have in terms of accessing their water. Urban population centres that are not on the Murray, such as Adelaide, should be weaned off the Murray, leaving the Murray for those who have little choice and less choice in terms of accessing water. This is the federal government’s opportunity to commit to assisting the state government to wean Adelaide off the Murray and indeed to set a target time within which that will be achieved. It is the right thing to do, and I support the amendment.