Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

As we approach the vote on this key piece of legislation, this really should be a good day for our parliament and for our country. With the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023, we are taking another step in fulfilling our promise to the Australian people to deliver the Basin Plan in full. And that is what this bill does. It offers more time, more options, more money and more accountability.

With these changes, we are opening up the full suite of water recovery options. We'll be able to invest in on-farm water infrastructure, in land and water purchases and in other novel water recovery mechanisms, where it's sensible to do so. We will be able to count recovery above bridging-the-gap targets towards the 450-gigalitre target. And we will be able to purchase water from willing sellers where it's needed to deliver the plan. Water purchase is never the only tool in the box. It's not the first tool at hand, but it does have to be one of them. The bill will also improve transparency and accountability in the Basin Plan and for water markets, and we know that this is most important for the many stakeholders engaged in productive activity in the basin.

Can I thank the senators for their contributions in the second reading debate. This is an important debate for the country, and I do appreciate the range of experiences and perspectives that senators bring to this chamber. Can I thank also the crossbench for constructive engagement. We have worked with the Greens on a number of sensible amendments, and they include extra accountability to ensure that governments are recovering water as they are required to—especially the 450 gigalitres of water for the environment—$100 million in investment in Aboriginal water entitlements and new flexibility to ensure water is recovered from across the basin, north and south.

I do want to say this also to the senators who are yet to make up their mind about how they will vote on this new law. Time is running out for the rivers of the Murray-Darling. None of us want communities to wake up one day to a dry river. Everyone wants healthy, productive agricultural activity and strong food and fibre industries. Everyone wants waters beds to breed and fish to spawn. No-one wants to lose that, and certainly no-one wants to know that their parliament could have done something to stop it. We do have to act now. I say to the Senate: thank you for your contributions. Thank you for your engagement to date, but work with us now to get this done. This is what the Australian people voted for.

I should also say that I table an addendum to the revised explanatory memorandum relating to this bill. The addendum responds to matters raised by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee.