House debates Questions without Notice
Murray-Darling Basin
David Farley Farrer, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
2:53 pm
My question is to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In Sydney, on 24 June, at the Rural Press Club, the CEO of the MDBA openly admitted disastrous shortcomings in his 2026 plan review. After considering 2,500 submissions at 150 locations and 1,000 one-on-one meetings, he acknowledged that the socioeconomic impacts on basin communities and agricultural production were omitted. Was this done on your instruction, or was this the MDBA acting with the Labor government's endorsed approval to omit it?
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
2:54 pm
I thank the member for his question. I know that the member has been really interested in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and what is happening in terms of water for farmers. I also know that he is concerned about making sure that it doesn't impact Australia's food security. I would say to the member that the ABS figures show that the gross value of agricultural production in the basin actually increased from 18.6 billion in 2011-12 to 30 billion in 2021 in nominal terms. What it shows is that production is going up in the Murray-Darling Basin area. In relation to the specifics of the question, I will talk to the minister responsible, the Minister for the Environment and Water, and get him an answer to that question.