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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 7 Hansard (5 June) . . Page.. 1967 ..
MR WOOD: Our amendment, I think, will still stand. Mr Quinlan will explain all. Certainly we support the broad sentiments expressed by Ms Tucker. We know the value of water, we know the value of the river and the catchment that we live within and we are anxious to do all we can to maintain that quality.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Members, Ms Tucker has moved an amendment to her motion. She could equally have suggested that this amendment be a substitution to part (2) (b). If we agree to accept the substitution without argument, we can then address the amendments that Mr Wood is proposing to move and members can then discuss the motion in full. Is that agreeable?
MR WOOD: That is fine. So we accept that and then we knock it off.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I must do this formally. May I suggest that Ms Tucker's amendment to omit paragraph (2) (b) and substitute new paragraph (2) (b) be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Wood, would you like to formally move your amendments, and then all members can discuss the matter.
MR WOOD: Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to move my two amendments together.
Leave granted.
MR WOOD: I move:
(1) After (1) (a) insert before "the" (first occurring) "as far as possible".
(2) Paragraph 2 (b), omit the paragraph.
At 5.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.
MS DUNNE (5.01): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Murray-Darling Basin covers one-seventh of the continent of Australia over New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. The basin supports one-quarter of the cattle herd, half the sheep flock, half the crop land and three-quarters of the irrigated land in Australia. Sixteen cities, including Canberra and Adelaide, as well as numerous other urban centres, rely on the basin for their water supply. Along with the Great Artesian Basin it represents life to the continent and all who live here. But I contend that these most precious resources and priceless assets entrusted to our care-truly the heartland and economic powerhouse of rural Australia-are in jeopardy because of our collective inaction.
The Murray-Darling Basin has been transformed by salinity and low flows from an oasis to a wasteland. Within our own lifetimes we are seeing how human activity can impact on highly productive but nevertheless fragile environments. At the moment we are at risk
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