Hansard debates

Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (16:13): My question is for the Minister for Water. Minister, while we have been lucky in relation to bushfires in my electorate, water availability remains very important. At the ministerial council meeting of water ministers in December 2018 a much-lauded agreement was reached by ministers, establishing the basis upon which the additional 450 gigalitres of up-water would be achieved. The agreement was that there would be no negative impacts on our rural communities. It is now apparent that the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, the federal one, has continued to seek expressions of interest to carry out on-farm projects—at least eight of them are on their own website—primarily in South Australia and without regard to the terms of the agreement, indeed in breach of the agreement. The agreement was an important milestone. What steps will the Victorian government take to stop such projects proceeding and to ensure that the federal government abides by its commitments?