Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today as well in support of this motion, which calls on those on the opposite side to ensure that they seriously consider the impact that their actions are having on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. We all know that we're talking about the serious allegations of water theft that we saw on Four Corners a few weeks ago and how the integrity of the water market—the integrity of the plan—should be upheld and have everyone involved, whether it be irrigators, growers or the environmentalists. We need, absolutely, 100 per cent confidence in the plan itself. I know that the South Australians in the state that I come from are absolutely reeling from the reports that they are hearing and have seen about the alleged water stealing upstream, as was reported on the Four Corners program, and the rumours that this Turnbull-Joyce government is getting ready to water down or walk away from the plan.

In my state, South Australians have fought long and hard to ensure the river is healthy and supported. We had a situation where all political players from all parties got together and signed off on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. We remember what it was like when those river communities were brought to their knees—their livelihoods severely threatened—during the drought. But this experience also brought communities together. It brought everyone together to fight harder than ever before for the health and the sustainability of the River Murray. In South Australia, the News Corp newspaper The Advertiser ran a campaign for well over 12 to 24 months to save the River Murray and ran very hard on it because they knew that the South Australians fought the loudest and the hardest out of all communities to ensure that we came up with this plan that will sustain the river, our industries along the river and the environmental flows.

We said back then, and we say it now, that we will do everything to ensure that we are never, ever again in the same position we found ourselves in during the drought. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is the best way that we can ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the river. We on this side, as we've heard today and last week during the debate, will not stand for the Deputy Prime Minister or anyone else making a mockery of something South Australians, in my state, have fought so hard for. We are located at the end of the river system and therefore are very heavily affected by anything that happens along the entire Murray-Darling Basin. We cheered when the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was agreed to by all the basin governments in 2012, then led by my colleague the water and environment minister, the member for Watson. That was an enormous and difficult achievement. This plan ensured the environmental equivalent of returning 3,200 gigalitres to the basin, and that's all we're asking—that 3,200 gigalitres are returned to the basin as agreed in the sign-off of that plan.

The South Australian government, with the strong support of the South Australian people, continues to work hard to ensure that the basin plan is implemented on time and in full. We on this side absolutely object to the Deputy Prime Minister's saying one thing to the cameras on TV, in his interviews, and another thing when he talks behind closed doors. We heard earlier what he said in a pub in Shepparton:

I'm glad it's our portfolio, a National Party portfolio because we can go out and say no, we're not going to follow on that …

He said:

We've taken water, put it back into agriculture, so we can look after you and make sure we don't have the greenies running the show.

That gives you an example of the thinking of the man behind this. This is not a political issue. It should be something that is basically about the importance of the sustainability of the river for all Australians, whether you're in the Nationals, in the Liberal Party or on our side here in the Labor Party.

There will be no industries along the River Murray if we don't sustain the river and ensure that we look after that environment. And to have a minister for water who says, 'I'm glad it's our portfolio, because we can go out and say no,' is something that absolutely kills this plan and does nothing for our river system. (Time expired)

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