David Farley (Farrer, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management. The 1997-2010 millennium drought bruised. The 2017-19 tinderbox wounded Australia. Is Australia's irrigated water capacity post the Murray-Darling buybacks strong enough to secure Australia's food supply for both human and stock operations during the next prolonged drought, and have you negotiated a water allocation from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder for food production during the next periods of drought?

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank you for your question. Whilst emergency management takes into account rapid-onset events, it doesn't actually take into account drought events, so I will hand over to the minister responsible for water in the House to answer the question.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) | Link to this | Hansard source

The question goes as well to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, and the question goes to what happens to water allocations during times of drought and obviously, as the member would be more aware than most people in the chamber, the different sorts of water security. For example, in the southern areas of his electorate, there are areas which have very low water security, whereas the licences in a place like Griffith on the Murrumbidgee tend to have high water security. That affects what is planted. You're more likely to have opportunity crops like rice in areas where the water security levels change radically, and you'll have permanent plantings like oranges, for example, in areas such as the Riverina and around Griffith, where the water security levels are much higher. What the Murray Darling Plan did was—

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

The minister will pause. The member for Farrer, on a point of order? The minister has concluded his answer. We'll move to the next question. Thank you, Member for Farrer.