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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 680 asked in the Legislative Council on 24 June 2020 by Hon Peter Collier

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

SOUTHERN FORESTS IRRIGATION SCHEME — FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING

680. Hon PETER COLLIER to the Minister for Regional Development:

I ask this question on behalf of Hon Dr Steve Thomas, who is on urgent parliamentary business.

I refer to the answer to question without notice 419 asked as a dorothy dixer on 17 August 2017 on the southern forests irrigation scheme in which the minister expressed that the Minister for Water had confirmed the state government's commitment to the proposal in a letter to the federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.

(1) Did the Minister for Regional Development support the Minister for Water's commitment to the southern forests irrigation scheme in August 2017?

(2) Does the Minister for Regional Development support the southern forests irrigation scheme today?

(3) If no to (2), why not?

(4) If yes to (2), given that the federal funding of $40 million was announced over a year ago, how has the minister progressed the proposal?

(5) Is a state funding commitment of $19 million secure for this project; and, if so, for how long?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member for the question.

(1) Yes.

(2) Yes, my support remains. However, it is important that the project is able to communicate the benefits to the community and demonstrate that it can be done in an environmentally sensitive manner.

(3) Not applicable.

(4) The next major step for the project is securing Environmental Protection Authority approval. This is the responsibility of the proponent. We expect that the proponent's environmental review document will be lodged and available for public comment in the next few weeks.

(5) The staged funding commitment remains but is naturally dependent on the project being able to receive all necessary approvals.