Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Water rules have always been one of the reform challenges in water policies because, as you correctly identified, we have different jurisdictions with different arrangements for water. There's some capacity by the federal government through the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to implement those water rules, but historically water was managed, including in a legislative and regulatory sense, by jurisdictions. Part of the reform process that was undertaken post Mr Turnbull's, my and Mr Burke's roles as water ministers was to try to improve water rules. For example—and I know the National Party don't agree with this—we couldn't have water trading between parts of the river without changing water rules, and obviously with different patterns we needed to. In relation to the Murrumbidgee, I am not aware where that process is up to, but I'll seek advice. (Time expired)