Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I am sorry, Mr President, but I am not quite sure what Senator Hanson-Young is getting at. There is a government approach of $12.9 billion, which includes some $3.1 million for purchasing water. We have made it clear that the process by which that is undertaken is to purchase from willing sellers. We have had a number of tender rounds in both the northern and southern basins, and the results of those have been made public on the website and have been announced by government. It has been done transparently.

Again in relation to compulsory acquisition, that is a view that has been put to us previously. I think I have answered questions in this place previously about that and we have said that it is not the approach we are taking. We will purchase from willing sellers and we will assess on the basis of value for money and environmental need.