John Madigan (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Water Amendment Bill 2015. The Murray-Darling Basin is home to 2.1 million people, and a further 1.3 million people are dependent on its water supply. While nearly half the basin population live in urban centres, the vast majority of land use in the basin is for agriculture.

What we do as federal legislators has a disproportionate impact on the economic health and wellbeing of this country and on the social and economic wellbeing of basin communities. Part and parcel of this is giving people certainty.

Over the last 12 months, I have travelled more than 6,000 kilometres across the basin, from Yea and Molesworth in the upper Goulburn in Victoria to Goolwa and the Murray Mouth in South Australia—to Cohuna, Cobram, Seymour, Boort, Numurkah, Tongala, Yarrawonga, Kyabram, Lake Charm, Swan Hill, Mildura, Benjeroop, Stanhope, Murrabit, Deniliquin, Barham, Koondrook, Kyalite, Rochester, Tatura, Colbinabbin, Bridgewater, Serpentine, Kerang, Lake Meran, Shepparton, Collingullie, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Leeton and Finley, just to name a few! I also went to many places that do not even show up on the view from a satellite passing overhead. But there are communities there, there are people, who are affected by our decisions—in this instance, notably, by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

I have heard stories of people walking off farms because they have become unsustainable. I have seen the subsequent collapse of small businesses and the effects on towns and communities. I have met with community leaders and school principals, and heard their concerns about the dwindling number of families and, most importantly, the effects on children in their schools, families and communities. But, over recent months, one message to me has been constant: please support the 1,500-gigalitre cap.

This cap was an election promise by the Abbott government, which is now more than two years through its term. This legislation has been a long time coming. Farmers need certainty. Our rural and regional communities need certainty.

There is of course much I disagree with about the so-called Murray-Darling Basin Plan. I was pleased to initiate a Senate inquiry into the plan earlier this year. I was even more pleased that Senator Leyonhjelm offered to be its chair. That committee is now underway. This legislation is a small, positive note in a sea of otherwise troubling developments related to the plan. It has my support. Thank you.