Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, in her own right and also in her capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I was interested in the minister’s litany of things that she is allegedly doing in the Murray-Darling. I want to ask her a question that will enable her to give a positive response now for something that can be done for the Murray-Darling. Minister, is it a fact that the Eildon Dam on the Goulburn River, which, as you know, is part of the Murray-Darling system, is only at 13 per cent capacity? Is it a fact that most of this water is reserved for environmental purposes? Given the critical state of the environment of the Murray-Darling Basin, will the minister today guarantee that the federal government will not approve the EPBC Act application that has been sought for the north-south pipeline, which will take water from the Murray-Darling system over the range to flush out Melbourne’s toilets?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me be clear with Senator Macdonald. Although he tries to direct his question to me both in my capacity as Minister for Climate Change and Water and in my capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, I believe that he is actually addressing it to me in the latter capacity because, obviously, administration—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it is about the Murray-Darling Basin, for which you are the minister.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would have hoped, Senator Macdonald, that you would have enough knowledge of this area to understand how these arrangements in government work. The EPBC Act is an act under which Minister Garrett has a certain statutory role and statutory discretion. I believe that the senator’s question relates to the Sugarloaf Pipeline, which, of course, was stage 1 of the Victorian government’s food bowl project. The Commonwealth government, I should be very clear with the senator, is not funding any aspect of stage 1 of the food bowl project. But it is the case that the Sugarloaf Pipeline has been determined to be a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and it is currently being assessed.

As I have previously indicated, the minister for the environment has a statutory discretion under that legislation, and it is not appropriate for me or any other minister to impact upon that inappropriately or to have discussions other than the consultation which is contemplated under the legislation. So I am sure that the issues that are relevant to consideration of that controlled action are issues that Minister Garrett will be taking into account when making a determination under that legislation.

Can I say that it is an area where there has been some community concern, and I think Senator Macdonald’s question reflects that. It certainly is an issue that has been discussed at some length in the Victorian press. How best to deal with water availability at this time, particularly given the drought and the impact of climate change, which I discussed in answer to a question from Senator Kirk, is obviously a difficult decision for state governments.

In short, I understand that the Sugarloaf Pipeline matter has been assessed at the state level by the advisory committee, and public comment has been received. The state consideration process has been accredited under the EPBC Act, and I am advised that at this stage Minister Garrett’s department has examined the advisory committee’s report. Additional documentation has been provided by the proponent and the proponent has been requested to provide further information. Minister Garrett will make his decision on this project only when he is confident that the proponent has provided the information necessary to enable him to make a fully informed decision that ensures that matters of national environmental significance are protected.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister Wong, would you confirm that you are the minister for the Murray-Darling Basin system, as you indicated in answer to a previous question? If you are, will you indicate why you will not take action to address the environmental health of the Murray-Darling Basin system? Water from the Goulburn River can be used for environmental flows in the Murray-Darling Basin system, yet it is being proposed by the Victorian Labor government to take it out of the basin, over the range, to flush Melbourne toilets. Will you guarantee, as the minister responsible, that your government will not allow this to happen and thus put even more pressure on the environment in the Murray-Darling Basin system?

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind you, Senator Macdonald, that you must address the chair with your question, not the minister sitting opposite.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have two points. The first is, as I clearly indicated in an attempt to assist Senator Macdonald, that from Minister Garrett’s perspective this is a matter of Commonwealth involvement that is governed by the EPBC Act—governed by an act that your government passed, Senator Macdonald. That is the first point.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong, you will address the chair too.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr President—second, in terms of what we are doing on the Murray-Darling Basin, I remind you that within four months we achieved a historic agreement that you were never able to achieve in government. We have purchased water; you were never able to achieve that. We got agreement with the states; you were never able to achieve that.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, address the chair!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You, on your side, are utterly divided about the need to purchase water to return water for the environment to those rivers, when we are delivering that.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.