Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (2) and (3) on sheet 7315 together:

(1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 5 (line 37), after "by", insert "at least".

(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 7 (after line 17), after subparagraph 86AD(2)(a)(iv), insert:

  (iva) undertaking research and development relevant to the use and management of the Basin water resources;

  (ivb) adopting emerging technologies to better use and manage the Basin water resources;

(3) Schedule 1, item 2, page 8 (after line 5), after subsection 86AD(2), insert:

  (2A) In debiting amounts for the purposes of making payments in relation to projects mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) or (c), priority is to be given to:

     (a) projects that will produce the maximum guaranteed increase in the volume of Basin water resources that is available for environmental use within the shortest time; and

     (b) projects that involve the adoption of emerging technologies to better use and manage the Basin water resources.

(4) Schedule 1, item 2, page 11 (line 20), after "by", insert "at least".

(5) Schedule 1, item 2, page 11 (line 34), after "by", insert "at least".

These amendments relate to the kinds of projects and the priority of projects. In my second reading contribution on this bill last night, I did make mention of the fact that there seems to be a dearth of rigour in the way that projects are allocated, and this particular amendment is to give a priority to projects that maximise the impact to the environment and do so in the most economically effective manner possible. That is effectively what this amendment is about. Yesterday, when I spoke in the second reading contribution, I spoke of the difficulty of Dave and Anita Riley from the Riverland in getting funding for their pioneering work on date palms, which has enormous potential as an industry in the Murray-Darling Basin because once they are established they are virtually drought proof. The Rileys have received awards from the Middle East for their work. What this amendment proposes to do is to ensure that there is a structure and mechanism in place for projects to get priority based on the return they can give to the environment but also to put an emphasis on R&D and innovation and to acknowledge the early adopters of water efficiency measures.