Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. I note that the minister yesterday released the CSIRO Murray-Darling Basin sustainable yields whole-of-basin report. Can the minister outline to the Senate the purpose of this study? What does the study suggest about the need to take urgent action in the basin?

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

I thank Senator Wortley for the question and for her ongoing interest in the Murray-Darling Basin and the way in which we have to deal with this crisis. I did release yesterday the final report for the Murray-Darling Basin sustainable yields project. Through you, Mr President, I should say that this is a groundbreaking study and an invaluable resource in helping to restore the basin to health. It was first commissioned in 2006 when Mr Turnbull was parliamentary secretary. I invite Mr Turnbull to read this report. In fact, we on this side would suggest that he make it compulsory reading for those on that side who need a stark reminder about why we need to act on climate change, why we need to act to protect the future of the Murray-Darling Basin. We would suggest that he prescribe it as compulsory homework for Senator Boswell, who does not believe that we ought to take action on climate change and who opposes action on climate change, including to the extent of pressuring Australian business to oppose action on climate change.

Key findings of that report include that the total flow at the Murray mouth has been reduced by 61 per cent and the river now ceases to flow through the mouth 40 per cent of the time, compared with one per cent pre water resource development. On the worst-case climate change scenario, you are looking at reductions of around 70 per cent in the Murray, 80 to 90 per cent in the Victorian regions, and the median decline—that is, the midpoint—is still projected to be 11 per cent by 2030. That is nine per cent in the north and 13 per cent in the south. What this shows very clearly is that in terms of climate change, on the basis of the advice given to us by the scientists in the report that Mr Turnbull himself commissioned, we face a future with less rain and less water in the system. What this means is that we have to get on with the long-term job, as this government is doing, as those opposite failed to do, of modernising infrastructure— (Time expired)

Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate on the progress the government has made on purchasing water entitlements and why these water purchases are crucial for the future of the basin?

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

As a South Australian senator, Senator Wortley understands why water purchases are important, including in terms of what CSIRO have told us, because what we do need to do is to improve the health of the river. We have to get on with the long-term investments on irrigation infrastructure and we also need to return water to the river through purchasing. This is a government prepared to engage in that. This is a government prepared to enter the water market to purchase water for the very first time in the nation’s history through the national government. So far 23 billion litres of entitlement have been settled, with more being processed. In conjunction with the New South Wales government, we also purchased Toorale Station, which yields an average of 20 gigalitres per annum, and have commenced purchases in the northern and southern basin. So after years of neglect we are making progress on the Murray-Darling.

Of course, those on the other side were originally pleased that we were involved in the purchase, in the water buyback. I can recall Senator Birmingham saying they were pleased that the government is involved in the buyback. (Time expired)

Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Are there any potential threats to the progress in purchasing water entitlements to improve the health of the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin?

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

In response to Senator Wortley, unfortunately there are. Despite the fact that Senator Birmingham and Mr Pyne have indicated support for water purchase—in fact, Mr Pyne wants us to purchase more; he wants a billion litres purchased by the government—we see what the opposition has put out most recently from members such as Senator Joyce, Mr Cobb and Dr Stone. Dr Stone does not mind purchase as long as it is only in New South Wales. I am not sure she has told you, Senator Nash, that she is happy if we purchase but only if it is in New South Wales. We see what has happened to those on that side who understood at least for the purposes of their South Australian electorate that water purchase was necessary to return water to wetlands such as the Coorong, such as Chowilla—all of those icon sites that we know you neglected. Those on that side who understood what was necessary have been rolled, and now I think what we need is to get Senator Birmingham and Mr Pyne and all the other South Australians on that side to go down to Adelaide and tell them that you do not support water purchases anymore. (Time expired)