WATER — CARNARVON ARTESIAN BASIN
1247. Hon KEN BASTON to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the answer to question
without notice 1207 asked on 22 October 2019.
(1) Is funding
available to decommission or rehabilitate the remaining free-flowing bores
identified in the Carnarvon Artesian Basin?
(2) If yes to (1), how much funding
is available?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
Hon
DARREN WEST replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Regional Development,
I provide the answer. The following information has been provided by the
Minister for Water.
(1)–(3) The
Carnarvon Artesian Basin rehabilitation program was a Gascoyne–Murchison
initiative, established in 1998. The program was jointly funded 40 per cent
each by the commonwealth and state governments, and 20 per cent by the pastoral
community. I note that the honourable member was the chair of the Carnarvon
Artesian Basin committee, which oversaw the work. The funding supported two
phases of rehabilitation work and funds were expended on completion of the
project in 2010. No further funding was organised by the former Liberal–National
government to complete the work.