QUEENSLAND WELCOMES END OF DELAYS TO CONDAMINE BALONNE AND BORDER RIVERS WATER PLANS

Water Minister Craig Wallace today strongly welcomed a Commonwealth Government decision to let Resource Operations Plans (ROPs) in the Condamine Balonne and Border Rivers proceed without delay.

Mr Wallace said the Commonwealth’s decision not to insist the ROPs be subject to a CSIRO review before they were finalised was good news for Queensland irrigators.

He said the Department of Natural Resources and Water would now proceed as quickly as possible to finalise the plans.

“The Queensland Government strongly supported water users on the BorderRivers and Condamine Balonnne on this issue,” Mr Wallace said.

“We called in Parliament for the Commonwealth-ordered CSIRO report to be completed as quickly as possible so irrigators did not face long delays with the ROPs,” he said.

“I also wrote to the Federal Water Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, asking that the CSIRO report be done urgently.

“It is good to see that the Commonwealth has responded to our concerns and the legitimate concerns of water users.”

A communiqué issued on February 23 about the National Plan for Water Security announced that “entitlements in any draft water plans nearing finalisation (for example the Condamine Balonne) could be issued subject to CSIRO urgently confirming that this would not result in significant over-allocation”.

The BorderRivers and Condamine/Balonne ROPs were prepared by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water in consultation with stakeholders and other interest groups.

The ROPs will ensure that environmental flows occur, while also allowing water entitlement holders to undertake their business in accordance with the Condamine Balonne and Border Rivers Water Resource Plans, finalised in 2003 - 2004.

The Draft Border Rivers ROP was released for public comment on 8 January 2007 and submissions closed on 28 February 2007. Draft Condamine and Balonne ROP will be released for public comment as soon as possible.

The Border Rivers ROP is expected to be completed in the second half of this year while the Condamine Balonne ROP will be completed early next year.

Mr Wallace said the ROPs were complex plans which were prepared over a long time, with the close and constructive involvement of irrigators and other interests groups.

“Queensland irrigators have done the right thing by participating in good faith in detailed water planning,” he said.

“I am very pleased we can now get on and complete these Plans.”

As part of the $10 billion agreement, Queensland has agreed to refer some of its constitutional powers to enable the Australian Government to manage water in the MurrayDarlingBasin in the national interest.

The following states take the following percentages of water from the Murray-DarlingBasin: NSW 55%, Victoria 34%, South Australia 6% and Queensland 5%.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.