Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan

Questions by The Hon. D.W. Ridgway (Leader of the Opposition) and The Hon J.M.A. Lensink

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): A supplementary question—in fact, the original question: how many flood irrigators have not been delegated their flood delivery component?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:35): I can't answer that question.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): Will the minister take that particular previous question on notice and bring back a reply? My second supplementary question, and I reiterate the first question, is: when was it decided to change the policy from a delivery component available to all, and crop component on application, to a policy whereby the delivery component needed to be applied for but the crop component would be based on historic records without the need for application? When was the change of policy?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:36): I will have to engage with the NRM board about their determinations about that and find the dates for the honourable member, which I am quite happy to do. As I said previously, I have already put on record the long and substantial correspondence with the community down there through public engagements, through town hall meetings, through letters, notices and journals, etc. If the honourable member would like that information once again, I will bring that back to the chamber as well.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:36): When the minister does that, can he please advise whether it was actually a decision of the local NRM board or whether it was his department?

17 May 2016

In reply to the Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (22 September 2015).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change): The Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation has received this advice:

1. This change of policy was made by the South East NRM Board when developing the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan. Until volumetric conversion occurred in this plan, which I approved on 26 November 2013, there was no policy on how delivery supplements would be allocated in the Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area.

In reply to the Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (22 September 2015).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change): The Minister for Water and the River Murray has received this advice:

1. Eligibility for a delivery supplement component was ascertained through the process of application, therefore an exact number cannot be determined. Some licence holders who may have qualified for this component did not apply.

2. This change of policy was made by the South East NRM Board when developing the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan. Until volumetric conversion occurred in this plan, which I approved on 26 November 2013, there was no policy on how delivery supplements would be allocated in the Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area.