Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. I thank the minister for today reaffirming the government's commitment to deliver the promised 450 gigalitres of water to South Australia by 2024, as under the plan. Today's commitment is a relief for thousands of people across Mayo. Will the minister please detail how the 450 gigalitres will be delivered to South Australia by 2024?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mayo for her question. It's a very important question. This government shares her concern to ensure that the 450 gigalitres of additional environmental water that was promised to South Australia in order for South Australia to sign onto the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is in fact delivered. I support that objective, I know the Prime Minister supports that objective, I know the members for Spence, Boothby, Makin and Adelaide and the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Social Services support that objective. I know the South Australian government is very committed. I spoke again this week to their Deputy Premier and minister for water about how we deliver on this plan.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a good plan. Labor made it. Labor delivered on it. It's those opposite who, for almost a decade, have sabotaged the delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. I'd be interested to know whether the members for Grey and Barker and Sturt also support the delivery of the 450 gigalitres of environmental water for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

I'll tell you something that makes this a little bit challenging, Member for Mayo. What makes it challenging is that in almost a decade those opposite have delivered two out of 450 gigalitres of water. Those opposite in almost—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd just ask the Minister for the Environment and Water to resume her seat. I'll call the member for Petrie.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Relevance: the environment minister is not being relevant to the question. The question said nothing about alternative policies and what happened in the past.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being entirely relevant.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I'll tell you how we are delivering on it. In fact, in the two months that I've been the environment minister, I have already contracted almost two gigalitres of water towards this 450-gigalitre target. I have done as much—I have contracted as much—in two months as those opposite delivered in almost a decade. I'll be meeting—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where's it coming from?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

with state environment and water ministers in coming months—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals will stop interjecting.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll be meeting with the state and ACT water ministers in coming months to make sure that we can deliver on this 450-gigalitre target. I'll be making sure that every state—Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia—does what it has promised to do, which is return this flow to the system. We'll increase First Nations water ownership and we'll take climate change into account in future modelling and planning for the system. We'll make sure that we release the Water for the Environment Special Account report. Guess what? That is another report they had before the election and didn't release. I can reassure the member for Mayo: we are committed to meeting this target. We will work with you to do that.