PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER 1981
ELECTORATE TALK
The River Murray is Australia's most important water resource,
and effective and appropriate management is vital to the future
of the Murray. Everyone agrees that the Murray must be
safeguarded against deterioration, but the different concerns of
those people and groups who have an interest in the Murray meanl
that a balance must be struck between a variety of con~ siderations.
The Commonwealth Government, together with the state government~ s
affected, has been determined to achieve harmony and effectiveness
in making arrangements for the management of the Murray, and
the new River Murray Waters Agreement is a significant milestone
in the continuing development and management of the Murray.
The quality of the water in the Murray has become a critical
issue, especially in South Australia, and the difficulty of
maitiriing a high quality has for some years been giving cause
for concern. The Commonwealth has been taking significant
action over recent years in connection with the environment
and the economy of the Murray, especially through its
contributions to the construction of the Dartmouth Dam, which
is now about two-thirds full. The vastly increased fresh
water source which this darn places under the control of the
River Murray Commission will enable the Commission to advance
many important river management objectives, including
significant control of river salinity.
The Commonwealth has also been providing funds over the past
three years for salinity control projects in the Murray Valley,
and some $ 6 million will be provided this year for this purpose.
The highest priority projects recommended in the most recent
report on the Murray, the Maunsell Report of 1979, are now
well in progress, and the Commonwealth intends to proceed with
additional projects concerned with the other priorities
identified by that Report.
The Commonwealth has also introduced taxation concessions to
encourage the improvement of irrigation practices because poor
irrigation practices are a major factor in salinity problems.
In addition, the Commonwealth is continuing to assist South
Australia improve the quality of the river water supplies for
urban purposes, and by the end of this finan~ ial year over
million will have been provided towards a filtration scheme
for Adelaide's water supplies. / 2
-2-
The new River Murray Waters Agreement pays particular attention
to water quality in the river, and gives the River Murray
Commission the right to assess the implications for water quality
of new developments, and the right to make representations on
proposals which otherwise might be harmful to water quality.
Former River Murray agreements have worked to the advantage
of all three states for some 60 years, and the revision in the
new Agreement to meet today's requirements is an important
step towards improving water quality in the Murray.
A draft of the new Agreement has been before the governments
concerned for a considerable time, and I am delighted that we
achieved acceptance of the new Agreement at our joint meeting
last Friday, and delighted also at the degree of-co-operation
which this. achievement represents. The Murray River system
is a mighty resource which belongs neither to any one state nor
to the Commonwealth, and we owe it not only to ourselves but also
to our children to make sure that the Murray system and its
water are maintained at the highest standards.
It is a vital concern for all the people who live along the
Murray and make their livelihood as a result of the resource,
whether they are in New South Wales, Victoria or South Australia.
This is important for many thousands of farms in all three
states but it is also important for people who live in
metropolitan areas and in the city of Adelaide.