Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source

I note this change of date in the bill by the minister, which changes the period of the initial declaration by the minister from an end date of 30 June 2018 to an end date of 31 December 2020. While I must confess I had colleagues chatting around me at the time and did not hear all of the minister’s brief explanation, I am curious as to whether the minister could inform the house as to what has precipitated this 18-month extension?