PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Mr BURNELL (Spence) (11:05): The Murray-Darling. Basin is one of Australia's most important natural assets, and getting its management right matters enormously to all who depend on it. That's why the Albanese government remains committed to delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full.

For almost 20 years, Commonwealth and basin state governments have recognised that action is needed to protect the long-term health of this river system. The basin plan exists because, for decades, too much water was taken from our rivers for agriculture and human use, leaving little to sustain the environment. Water sustains communities, supports agriculture and keeps the ecosystems upon which the entire basin depends healthy, because there are no jobs on a dead river.

Our responsibility is to make decisions today that ensure that these rivers remain healthy and productive for generations to come. That challenge will only become greater as climate change creates a hotter and drier basin, with rainfall and water availability becoming less predictable. I understand the concerns raised in this motion about agricultural production, regional jobs and food security.

Nobody on this side of the House disputes the enormous contribution made by our farmers. For me personally, my family have firsthand experience growing citrus, grapes and vegetables in the Sunraysia region. Agriculture supports jobs well beyond the farm gate, through manufacturing, transport, processing, exports and countless regional businesses.

In fact, agricultural businesses that are dependent on the basin contribute around $30 billion to the Australian economy. But presenting this debate as a choice between farmers and the environment fundamentally misunderstands the challenge before us. When the government purchases water entitlements, it does so from willing sellers.

Farmers who decide to sell deserve fair compensation, and many use those proceeds to reinvest directly back into their farms. Nor are voluntary purchases the only tool being used. Since 2022, the Albanese government has committed more than $870 million to state and community led projects designed to improve water efficiency in the irrigation networks.

I can see that approach firsthand in my own community in the North. The Albanese government is partnering with the city of Playford and the city of Salisbury to reduce our reliance on the River Murray. More than $16.3 million is being provided to the two councils through the South Australian Alternative Water Supply Efficiency Measures Program.

Together, these projects are projected to save 1,264.4 megalitres of water every year. Recycled water will be connected to 17 sites, supporting our community while reducing demand on the Murray. In Salisbury, investment will support stormwater harvesting, managed aquifer recharge, connections between the Salisbury and Playford recycled water networks, and groundwater desalination infrastructure.

That alternative water can then support public open spaces, schools and industrial customers. These are practical projects that demonstrate that environmental responsibility and community development go hand in hand. In fact, those two local projects alone will save water equivalent to more than half of the 2,000 megalitres returned to the river system by the former Liberal government over nine years.

And in June this year the Albanese Labor government reached an important milestone, recovering 380,400 megalitres towards the 450,000-megalitre target for the Murray. We are also supporting communities through the $300 million Sustainable Communities Program, investing in local projects, infrastructure and opportunities for emerging industries. Despite the picture sometimes painted in these debates, Australian agriculture continues to perform strongly.

Agricultural production exceeded $100 billion in 2025-26, reaching industry's 2030 target four years early. Food security also remains a priority, with Feeding Australia developing a national strategy to strengthen the resilience of our food system into the future. Major reviews of water management are also underway.

The Basin Plan Review, Water Act review, Productivity Commission water inquiry and other processes are examining how water should be managed into the future. Almost 2½ thousand submissions have been made during consultation on the Basin Plan Review. Farmers, industry, local governments, community organisations and residents have all contributed their experiences and perspectives.

Those voices deserve to be heard, and this government will continue listening carefully as that work progresses Ultimately, the future of the Murray Darling Basin cannot be reduced to a choice between environmental water and productive water. It's about ensuring both can prosper long into the future.