Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

We've seen one of the worst summers on record in parts of the basin and horrific fish kills. There's been report after report on the basin and the fish kills—by the Productivity Commission's review of the implementation of the Basin Plan, the South Australia Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission, the Australian Academy of Science's review into the fish kills and the review commissioned by the minister into the fish kills—but the government seems intent on doing nothing.

Labor is committed to helping our rivers and restoring the Basin Plan. We've already introduced a bill to repeal Barnaby Joyce's 1,500-gigalitre cap on buybacks. In addition we've committed to: requiring the Basin Authority to update the science; an urgent review of climate change impacts now and into the future to determine any change to inflows and evaporation rates; urgently renegotiating the Menindee agreement, which determines how the lakes are managed; and restoring the correct socio-economic test for delivery of the 450 gigalitres through on-farm infrastructure projects in the basin. Labor will continue to stand up for the environment and protect the Murray-Darling Basin. (Time expired)