Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Siewert, move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

Tuesday, 2 February 2010 was World Wetlands Day,

(ii)

the day marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran on 2 February 1971, and

(iii)

in 2010, the focus of World Wetlands Day is on ‘caring for our wetlands – an answer to climate change’, highlighting the continuing threat our wetlands face from unsustainable human practices and the likely impact that climate change will have on our wetland ecosystems;

(b)

recognises that:

(i)

fair water sharing across the basin is the only way the environment and those relying on the river system will be protected and sustainable,

(ii)

South Australia’s Lower Lakes are at crisis point and need the full attention of the Federal Government, and

(iii)

implementation of the Basin Plan urgently needs to be fast-tracked as the Lower Lakes and Coorong can not wait until 2019 for all states to participate in a cap on sustainable diversions and basin-wide water sharing arrangements; and

(c)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

establish an independent national authority with the powers to make decisions in the best interests of our rivers and wetlands, that cannot be vetoed by individual states,

(ii)

provide greater resources for the understanding and management of the resilience of our wetlands to the impacts of climate change, and

(iii)

ensure that South Australia’s iconic wetlands do not lose their Ramsar Convention listing.

• (iii)ensure that South Australia’s iconic wetlands do not lose their Ramsar Convention listing.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition parties have enormous sympathy for the overwhelming content of this motion and the majority of what the Greens, through Senator Hanson-Young and Senator Siewert, are seeking to achieve. We certainly recognise the importance of the Ramsar wetlands and especially—as you would well know, Mr Deputy President—those in South Australia and the Lower Lakes regions. We believe that the deals struck by the Rudd government with the states are flawed deals, that they do not provide for effective national management and that we should see more urgent action in the Lower Lakes.

However, we also believe that arrangements with those who hold existing irrigation licences and have interests throughout the basin need to be fair and reasonable. Unfortunately, one of the reasons we oppose this resolution is that this motion appears to call for the taking away of such rights and licences in a premature way that may not have appropriate compensation or support for them. We have tried to negotiate a single amendment with the Greens to ensure support for this motion. Regrettably, they have rejected that and we are unable to support the motion, but I do place on record our support for 95 per cent of the motion and our concern about how we provide that assistance and support to irrigation communities to adjust, rather than taking away their rights.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I thank Senator Birmingham for making it clear why the coalition are unable to support this motion. While our motion does not necessarily talk about taking away people’s rights or not needing a fair and meaningful process to go through in relation to fast-tracking the national Murray-Darling Basin plan, we know we need to fast track it. That is the point of this entire motion. We cannot keep waiting until 2019. I understand that the coalition have some problems on their own side in terms of getting their act together and having a consistent approach. Unfortunately, that is not the Greens’ problem. What we want to do is move forward. We need action on the Murray-Darling Basin. We need it today, not in 15 years time. Unfortunately, that is where we will end up being if we do not act now.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The government shares local community concerns for the Lower Lakes and the Coorong. After years of inaction and neglect, the Rudd government has a comprehensive plan to put the Murray-Darling Basin back onto a sustainable footing. Our plan is delivering results and that is why the government does not support this motion. Under reform secured by the Rudd government in 2008, the Commonwealth, not the states, will decide how much water will be taken out of the rivers via a new basin plan. This year, the draft basin plan will propose a new limit on how much water can be taken from the rivers. In preparing the basin plan the independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority is identifying key environmental assets, such as the Lower Lakes, and determining their environmental water needs. In the meantime, we are returning water to the rivers by purchasing water and delivering irrigation and infrastructure that uses less water.

As at the end of 2009, the Australian government had secured 766 billion litres of water entitlements at a cost of $1.2 billion. The Australian government has committed $330 million towards the issues facing the Lower Lakes and the Coorong and local communities and we are making real progress. We have committed $200 million towards South Australia’s long-term plan for this site, now nearing completion. We have committed $120 million to vital irrigation and potable pipelines. We are contributing $10 million to biomediation as a means of tackling acidification and an additional 340 gigalitres of water from a range of sources will now flow to the Lower Lakes. These and other actions underway are helping sustain the internationally significant environmental values in the Coorong and Lower Lakes, a commitment that the Ramsar secretary-general noted on his recent visit.

Question negatived.