Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I'll finish on this point in respect of Senator Hanson-Young. She's seeking to use the Murray-Darling Basin for the benefit of her own re-election, not for the benefit of South Australian irrigators and not for the benefit of the community. She did that in 2012 and she's continuing to do it today. If they'd had their way then, we still might not have a plan at all. Not to agree to this bill today would further delay the implementation of the plan—and delay hurts the river.

The agreement we've got includes the checks and balances needed to make sure that the plan gets back on track and that we're making progress towards a sustainable future for the health of the Murray-Darling Basin. The government has committed to the commencement of the recovery of the 450 gigalitres of environmental water through an expression of interest. Payment for the 605 gigalitres of supply projects is linked to the delivery of the 450 gigalitres of water for the environment. If the 450 gigalitres isn't being recovered, then funding for the 605 gigalitres won't be provided. The package is clear that the government will prioritise the removal of constraints, because there's no point in having water for the environment if we can't use it. It is also clear that the key to river health is the ability to move 80,000 megalitres per day across the South Australian border.

There is also a provision to make sure that irrigators can't take environmental water. The Four Corners report revealed that some people were taking water, both legally and illegally, that was meant for the environment and diverting it instead to irrigation. That has to stop. Labor has ensured that the package agreed with the government includes, firstly, funding for more metering so we know what water is being used; secondly, no meter, no pump rules; thirdly, embargoes on environmental water; and, fourthly, daily extraction limits to protect environmental water. Labor will continue to work to make sure that all basin jurisdictions work together to deliver the plan for the sake of the future health of the river system and future generations of Australians.