Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last month, the Deputy Premier of South Australia, Susan Close, announced the appointment of Richard Beasley as the inaugural South Australian Commissioner for the River Murray. Mr Beasley's important is so important to South Australia and so important to the health of the river in general. As we push for real action on the River Murray and aim to get passed the significant number of years that the health of the river has been ignored and commitments in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan over 10 years that have not been delivered, the commissioner is going to make a fundamental difference to how this is going to be dealt with. We've heard from the Peter Malinauskas, the South Australian Premier. He believes that this appointment sends a clear message that South Australia is serious about defending our water rights and protecting the river, including delivering on the 450 gigalitres that were promised but not delivered.

I've said numerous times in this chamber before that the Murray River is the lifeblood of South Australia. The agricultural sector, the community and the environment are all dependent on the river, and all can live together in harmony if we have enough water in the river to keep it healthy. If we stop that flow and we do not allow the river to be healthy, then, our agricultural sector will not thrive either. This is not a binary decision about whether we wish to prioritise the environment or whether we wish to prioritise agriculture. This is a scenario where we need to have everything working in harmony. Delivery of that water is critical.

I have a huge amount of faith in Richard Beasley, and I have a huge amount of faith in what the South Australian government has committed to in terms of his role. His role will encompass a whole range of engagements, including working with community and the federal government, helping secure that flow that has been promised to South Australia for so long. From the Lower Lakes to the Coorong, across the whole gamut of the river, his work will make a fundamental difference. It will help us get that water. Now that we have a federal government that is determined to deliver on the promises in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, I have great hope that the South Australian government, the federal Labor government, the commissioner and the relevant ministers can, in concert with the stakeholders and those people whose lives depend upon that river, work together to get an outcome that will protect the environment and will also protect our agricultural sector.

I look forward to working very closely on this project that Mr Beasley is about to engage in. I really look forward to seeing some genuine outcomes delivered and reported on in this place about how we will improve the health of the River Murray.