Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for her question and, in particular, for acknowledging the significant announcement that the Prime Minister made today, as I alluded to previously in my answers to questions from Senator Antic, and the bringing-forward of infrastructure projects across Australia to create around 66,000 jobs.

In relation to the Bradfield scheme, I can provide you with the following information. The National Water Grid Authority, which, as you have referred to, commenced operation on 1 October 2019, is working with leading science agencies, including the CSIRO, to determine where and how water resources can be sustainably developed. This forms part of the Australian government's commitment to investing $100 million in bringing together the world's best science to identify opportunities for enhancing water supply and reliability for regional Australia. As part of this work, the authority is considering options for developing large-scale water-harvesting and water-transfer schemes, such as elements of the Bradfield scheme or hybrid versions of the Bradfield scheme, to capture and transport water to both grow the agricultural sector and improve drought resilience. Over the decades since it was first proposed, there have been a number of assessments of the merit of the original Bradfield scheme and more recent variations. It is important that the feasibility of these schemes is now investigated, using the best available contemporary science.