Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I move opposition amendment 2, on sheet 5657:

(2)    Schedule 2, item 50A, after subsection 21(10), insert:

   (10A)    To avoid doubt:

             (a)    the delivery of water for the initiatives of the Water for Rivers project was an existing use of water prior to 3 July 2008; and

             (b)    the taking of water for the initiatives of the Water for Rivers project is not contrary to subsection 21(8); and

             (c)    the construction and operation of water infrastructure for the initiatives of the Water for Rivers project is not contrary to subsection 257(1); and

             (d)    all commenced and provisionally agreed Snowy River environmental flows are preserved and excluded from the provisions of subsections 21(8), 21(9) and 257(1).

This amendment put by the opposition is about the Water for Rivers project. There were some concerns raised with us. We believe that none of the amendments moved on the bill would have an impact on the various sources of environmental water for the Snowy River, but we recognise that those concerns have been raised and that it has been requested that some confirmation be provided that the amendments could not be misinterpreted. This amendment simply confirms the pre-eminence of the Snowy flows.