Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 1:59:42 to 2:12:53
The department provides updates on ministerial briefings regarding independent reviews and the current environmental health of the lower Murray River.
Topics: Water management, Electricity grid, Infrastructure
Speakers: Hon Murray Watt, Dr Matt Coleman, Unknown Speaker, Malcolm Southwell, Senator Andrew McLachlan, Hon Matthew Canavan, Mr. Tony Chappel, Senator David Pocock, Speaker 21, Speaker 23, Speaker 25
>> I've got some more questions about our favorite acronym theoid uh and the review and its implementation. And I'm hoping some of you may have seen the exchange early with with Snowy Hydro. Uh the department's website confirms that the independent review panel provided its um final report to the Australian government in August. Uh on what exact date was it received?
>> Uh Senator Malcolm S. I can take that. Um we received the department itself received the report on the 1st of September.
>> 1st of September. >> So it wasn't in August. I think the
report was finished, Senator, literally on the 31st of August when we received it the next day.
>> Okay, cool. Um, and which Commonwealth ministers have received the final
Senator, we've worked with our energy colleagues to provide u uh briefing material to um >> ministers uh who look after water and energy, but um that's is still a pro
>> So, who sorry, who's got it so far? So
we have worked with our energy colleagues to provide a briefing material to the minister for water and the minister for energy
>> water and energy
>> and that government is still considering that report senator. It's still early
>> It also uh relates to to uh the to the shareholder ministers. So >> uh so also the minister for finance.
>> Yeah
>> as a shareholder minister. So uh we're in a position where we're actively briefing across not only to Minister Watt but but across working with our energy colleagues. Uh in terms of the shareholders ministers
>> have any of the three ministers asked
I the three ministers, myself, Minister Bowen, and Minister Gallagher, um were verbally briefed by the review panel um I'm going to say roughly a month ago, 6 weeks ago. Um and um I know that my department has been preparing advice for me since that point in time. I'm not entirely sure what further information has been sought by the other minister ministers or been provided to them.
>> And thanks Minister. Um that's good to know. And so what's stopping the report from being released?
in the scheme of things, the final report hasn't been with government for terribly long. Um and uh obviously we're wanting to fully consider the recommendations uh it would be my intention to publish the final report. Um but we obviously want to give it a bit further consideration before we do that.
>> And so Minister just with given there's the shareholding ministers it's your decision to release the report.
>> I think that's right. >> I think that's right.
>> That's correct Senator. Minister. So um Senator, it's the the three ministers are relevant to the release of the report uh because it has obviously an impact in terms of snowy hydro as well.
>> So all three have to approve that.
>> That's the intend
>> and how much longer before the advice from DQ is to be delivered.
>> Sorry. Sorry. Can I correct that last evidence? Sorry, Senator. Um it's it's minister for energy and minister water for water. That's two relevant ministers who have to agree to the content of that. But there's a whole government consideration involved as well. And as um Mr. Sullivan said um the finance minister is relevant as a shareholder minister.
>> Thank you Mr. Southwell. Um and how much longer before that advice from DQ is delivered to to the minister?
>> My understanding my office have actually just let me know. I believe that advice has now been provided. I haven't seen that yet myself and that I'm not having a go at my office. You know they need a bit of time to look at it as well. Mhm.
>> And and Senator, if I can just add to that, the department has been working through the content of that report to be pro provide comprehensive advice to all of the relevant ministers and we've sought to provide a whole portfolio view because of the importance of the environmental outcomes for the river as well as the energy considerations.
>> Okay. Um thank you. I appreciate all your work on on it. It's a really important piece of work and look forward to seeing what the government's um response is. Thank you.
>> Thank you, chair. I want to take us to the lower Murray and the Kurong Lakes critically endangered. What is the assessment at the moment of the health of the river system there and has there been any improvement?
>> Um, I'm sure there are some officials in who are here now who could speak to that. Uh, as far as I'm aware, the intention is still to call the threatened species um commissioner, I think it is, later uh um who would be able to speak to that we'll see who we've got here and whether they're able to um speak to that. Yeah.
>> Uh Senator Andrew McConnell, chief executive of Mar Darling Basin Authority. So um I guess what you're also alluding to is the initial uh sustainable diversion limit assessments which were released and been updated.
>> Well question which is there considerable community angst about the shortfall >> and so my next question was going to be just understanding what your view is of the health and then are there concerns justified given there's a shortfall and where do we go from here? So that's basically three questions.
>> In in short, um as you know, in January this year on the recommendation of the threatened species scientific committee, I did list the lower Murray as critically endangered. Um uh to my knowledge, there's been no sort of update to any of that. Um but what that showed comprehensively was that the lower Murray is remains in very significant environmental distress. Um, and I I mean the officials can I won't speak for them, but I think it would be fair to say that um were we to abandon key elements of the Murray Darling Basin plan, including voluntary water buybacks, that would not be a good thing for the lower Murray given its very poor
>> Uh, thank you, Senator. Um, Matthew Coleman, general manager, Mari Dalan Basin Authority. Um so in relation to the the health of the Kurong lower lakes Murray mouth the end of system uh what we've seen over the last 15 years with basin plan implementation is that essentially it's a mixed story. Um so we have seen for the uh lower lakes we've seen significant improvement in the health of the lower lakes since the millennium drought and the basin plan has been instrumental um to that recovery. Uh but when when we look further downstream, we can see for the Kurong um we have not seen the same levels of recovery. Um and so the the north lagoon of the Kurong that has exhibited some improvement in health since the millennium drought. Uh and again the basin plan has been instrumental to that. Uh but what we're seeing in the south lagoon is that it is a degraded part of the system. Uh it continues to remain degraded since the uh since the millennium drought. We're seeing all components of the ecosystem are impacted in the South Lagoon and what our work under the SDL assessment is showing is that we do not have confidence that we'll be meeting uh the environmental environmental targets that we've set for the South Lagoon of the Kurong into the future.
>> So where is that modeling held? you know the assessment of if you don't get this much this this degree of degrading the minister's drawn the nexus where is the sort of flesh to that
>> uh so senator the um we released in February this year we released our initial SDL assessments and we released a lot of modeling alongside that uh we're currently in the process of working through the final SDL assessments that will appear as part of the basin plan review final report. Uh when the basin plan review final report is released and the final SDL assessments are released, we'll release the evidence base at the same time. That will include the modeling. Um but the the general trend of where we're heading for the final SDL assessments uh for the South Australian Murray looks quite similar to what the initial SDL assessment said.
at the moment the initial targets that we have for environmental flows you're saying to our best knowledge should be able to assist with the problems in the lower lakes. We're not going to find later we need more well they will be but given climate change but at the moment the targets are sound as far as the current modeling holds.
>> That's right. Yeah. So we have seen over uh through basin plan implementation lower lake levels have been maintained within within the desired range >> uh and our modeling gives us confidence that we'll we should expect to see that continue over the life of the next basin plan. But where the risk is most manifest is in the kurong.
>> Thus the need to as quickly as possible find the environmental flows
>> environmental flows in uh freshwater inflows into the kurong that is the primary driver. um of health of the corona system.
>> Thank you. No further questions.
>> Thank you, Senator McLolin. Uh Senator Chandler, do you have possible? >> U yes, if you can quickly let these guys
go, I think if there's others. Um I just wanted to quick some quick questions on the National Water Grid uh fund. How much uh funding is allocated uh for this year and next for the National Water >> Uh, Senator, we're currently in the process of receiving applications at the moment um for consideration in the next >> some have been received. How many have you received? notice. >> Okay. So, they're for the budget next year. >> Yes. 2025 and what was the total amount notice given the time. Uh so you're actively seeking uh applications right >> for Queensland? >> Yeah, for Queensland.
is then there's been discussion uh in
I'd have to take that on notes. Senator, are you Malcolm South, are you referring to assets that are jointly owned by governments or
>> Well, uh I've got a quote here from the discussion paper of the basin plan which
security and regional productivity.
>> That's correct, Senator. That's how
understood. That's what I was referring
to. >> Um, so there is a joint program that funds the those assets. Uh, and we work closely with the MDBA.
>> So that's separate from the the water
grid. >> That's correct, Senator.
>> Okay. Well, maybe if I notice you could provide me some information about the funds available for that particular investment. That'd be great.
>> Thank you, Senator Can. I'm very grateful.