Bill
Water Amendment Bill 2015
passed, as at 2015-10-13. Environment portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Environment
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2015-05-28
- second reading — 2015-05-28
- second reading — 2015-09-08
- second reading — 2015-09-09
- second reading — 2015-09-09
- third reading — 2015-09-09
- introduced — 2015-09-09
- second reading — 2015-09-09
- second reading — 2015-09-09
- second reading — 2015-09-10
- second reading — 2015-09-10
- committee — 2015-09-10
- committee — 2015-09-14
- third reading — 2015-09-14
- passed — 2015-09-14
- royal assent — 2015-10-13
Divisions
- David Leyonhjelm This bill is proposing some sensible amendments to the Water Act to cut buybacks from farmers to 1500 gigalitres, and I support that. However, I have moved two amendments which I think I should explain once again for the benefit of the chamber. The first amendment will counter water hoarding by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. As the law currently stands, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is required to hold and store water even when environmental watering plans have been fully utilised. My amendment removes the ban on selling water that is excess to environmental needs by removing a requirement to retain water if it can be stored for a future accounting period. This idea, I believe, is supported by the National Party—certainly by the Victorian National's leader, Mr Peter Walsh, former water minister in Victoria. I do not see why it should not be supported at least by the Nationals in this place. The second amendment that I am proposing increases the total water that can be used by farmers in the basin by around one per cent. This is a modest change that will benefit farmers and not threaten the environment. The increased water for farmers is achieved by reducing water use reduction targets listed in the Basin Plan. The government argues these sorts of amendments will fall out of their current review process, and we should not proceed with them now. Quite frankly, I think that amounts to the government saying, 'We want our name on these measures, not your name, Senator Leyonhjelm.' I do not accept that. We have a responsibility in this parliament to promptly amend Commonwealth law when a clearly beneficial change is before us. We should not delay in the hope that bureaucratic committee processes will come up with something sensible in a timely way. These amendments do not threaten environmental outcomes, and additional water will also be available to farmers who wish to purchase it at a reasonable price. They will improve the B — 2015-09-14, Senate: negative, ayes 6, noes 39
- The majority of Senators voted in favour of reading of the [Water Amendment Bill 2015](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5468) a “third time” — which means that the bill will now become law. — 2015-09-14, Senate: affirmative, ayes 39, noes 9
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2015-05-28.
The bill would set a maximum on how much surface water the Commonwealth can buy in the Murray-Darling Basin.
It would also confirm a target for recovering extra water for the environment through efficiency projects paid from a special account.
The cap of 1,500 gigalitres on purchases was announced in the government's Water Recovery Strategy and is now being written into law.
- The bill imposes a 1,500 gigalitre limit on Commonwealth surface water purchases across the Murray-Darling Basin.
- The bill enshrines a commitment to recover 450 gigalitres of additional water for the environment through efficiency measures.
- The bill provides assurance to rural and irrigation communities about the implementation of the Basin Plan.
Rural and irrigation communities, businesses, and communities throughout the Murray-Darling Basin.
Sources
em
em
billhome
frl act