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

I am grateful to Senator Joyce for that more elaborate explanation. I am grateful to the Australian Greens for their support. I would like to put this on the record so that we know what we are talking about here. The first part of the amendment, which the coalition, as I understand it, thought of supporting but did not quite get there—close but no cigar—would allow for an undertaking of research and development relevant to the use and management of the basin's water resources and the adoption of emerging technologies to better use and manage the basin's water resources. I think it is fair to say, without verballing Senator Farrell, that the position of the government is: 'The deal has been done and we do not want to know about anything else.' Can the government please tell us what mechanisms there are to take into account emerging technologies and research and development so that we can be the best of the best when it comes to water efficiency—the sorts of things that Professor Mike Young, one of Australia's pre-eminent water experts, has talked about in the past?

We can be world leaders in adopting water-saving technology measures and having a level of R&D so that we can go further. Particularly in the Riverland in South Australia, where they have already adopted a number of water-efficiency measures over many years, their only way to survive will be to adopt and be at the forefront of these emerging technologies. So how will the plan deal with these issues of research and development and the adopting of emerging technologies?