Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Minister, one and a half months ago the government received a report it commissioned on the falling water level of the Latrobe aquifer in Gippsland, and the appropriate level of assistance for farmers. Minister, when will you release the report and give the Yarram farmers news of any assistance the government will provide?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for his question. He has asked a similar question previously in this chamber and has a strong interest in this matter. He is correct in that the previous government commissioned a report into the impact of falling aquifer levels on Gippsland irrigators, in particular 55 Yarram irrigators, and he is correct that that report has been received. I can indicate that it is a report jointly commissioned by the Commonwealth and the Victorian governments. He asks what indication the Commonwealth government can give as to assistance to be provided as a result of the consideration of that report. I am pleased to advise him that I have written to the relevant Victorian minister and committed to providing $3.6 million towards an assistance package for these irrigators. In considering the options for assistance, the government drew from the report assistance measures prepared by the expert consultants under the joint project to which I have referred. These expert consultants engaged extensively with local irrigators through the Latrobe aquifer reference group administered as part of this program.

Senators may be aware that this issue has been around for some time. There was a CSIRO report in 2004 which the previous government considered but, unfortunately, not much happened as a result of that. So it is unfortunate that this matter has dragged on for some years now, and I appreciate the difficulties that irrigators in Victoria’s Yarram region have encountered in dealing with the problem of declining groundwater levels over this period. I am pleased to say that, with this $3.6 million contribution from the Commonwealth government, we are now a substantial step closer to a final resolution of this issue, a resolution that will provide these irrigators with the certainty that is needed for them to continue to access their groundwater entitlement and to farm into the future.

I indicate to the Senate that the assistance package is based on the capital costs of bores and pumps, combined with the extra pumping costs that these irrigators must incur in the face of declining groundwater levels. I understand that irrigators in the region agreed with the consultants that this was the best and most equitable approach. I wish to indicate that, in line with one of the four priorities of the government’s water plan, Water for the Future, we expect that this assistance package would be conditional on a groundwater management planning process being put in place to manage the Latrobe aquifer on a long-term sustainable basis—in other words, we believe using water wisely is one of the national priorities under Water for the Future and we would expect that that process would be put in place. I am looking forward through you, Mr President, to you, Senator Fielding, to a final resolution of this matter in the near future.

Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for outlining the assistance, which I think the farmers will be interested to hear about. In regard to the deterioration of the Latrobe aquifer, could you give us more of a feeling for what is actually going to stop that, and when work will begin on that issue?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the funding which we have indicated of $3.6 million is conditional on a groundwater management planning process being put in place to manage the aquifer on a long-term sustainable basis. Obviously, the detail of that will need to be worked through by the Victorian government, the irrigators and relevant stakeholders. So those are issues which still need to be worked through. Obviously, this has been an issue, as you know, Senator Fielding, that has been dragging on for some time. We have indicated to the Victorian government that this is a matter we want to progress in relation to the groundwater management planning process and we are prepared to make a contribution of $3.6 million towards the assistance package.