Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

With all respect to Senator Storer, I reject that view completely. The government is taking seriously these recommendations, as I indicated. It is right and proper that we do so in a considered way, particularly given that the successful implementation of any change from such recommendations will require cooperation and coordination with state and territory governments. I think it's also important, while I have this opportunity, to say that we do recognise that the basin is a diverse community of environmental, economic and social assets. As the Productivity Commission report points out, there are 30,000 wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin, 100 of which are recognised as nationally important. That's why we are doing that more environmental watering through the plan, and great achievements have been made there. However, it is of course the area which produces 41 per cent of our agriculture. Forty-one per cent of our food comes from the basin. The basin also supplies water to 2.1 million people who reside within it and 1.3 million people outside the basin as well.