Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for her question and note her longstanding interest in the health of the Murray-Darling Basin. After more than 100 years of disagreement, the Gillard government has today presented a final Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The government had committed to delivering a plan that restores our rivers to health, supports strong regional communities and sustains food production. Such a plan has now been delivered by Minister Burke.

The government has accepted the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's recommendation to return 2,750 gigalitres of surface water to the environment. It sets up a mechanism which allows governments to improve environmental, social or economic outcomes on the proviso that improving one outcome does not sacrifice others. Importantly, the government has also committed to provide an additional $1.77 billion to relax key operating constraints and to allow an additional 450 gigalitres of environmental water to achieve greater environmental outcomes. This will be done through projects designed to ensure that there is no social or economic downside for communities.

For decades the Murray-Darling Basin has been treated as though it ended at state borders. It does not, and consistent mismanagement has seriously degraded the health of the whole system. Only a national plan was going to address the many problems that fragmented administration brought. That is what this government has delivered today in this plan. (Time expired)