NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT MEDIA RELEASE



Marion Scrymgour
NT MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

25 January 2007


WATER INQUIRY WELCOME, BUT WE NEED SCIENCE NOT PANIC


Environment Minister Marion Scrymgour today welcomed the announcement by Prime
Minister Howard for an inquiry into water resources in northern Australia.


“The task force into the possible expansion of agriculture and horticulture in
northern Australia to be headed up by Senator Bill Heffernan is a logical
extension of the partnerships we have formed with the Australian Government
already,” said Ms Scrymgour.


“This includes studies in the Daly and Gulf regions.


“However, we must be absolutely certain that the investigations are based on
good science, and not on panic.


“We look forward to participating in the development of the terms of reference
for the new task force.


“In this, I am already encouraged by Senator Heffernan’s previously announced
position on agriculture in the north where he said that the first step should be
to establish a database containing all the information needed to judge northern
Australia’s potential for dry-land and irrigated farming.


This isn’t a frontier bull dozer operation.


This should be a science-based operation where the wet and dry seasonal
conditions for not only crop enterprises but also environmental considerations 1


“I couldn’t agree more.”


Ms Scrymgour said that the Northern Territory Government was already adopting a
cautious approach to the issue of water allocation to agricultural and
horticultural developments in the north.


“Put simply, no Australian—including the farmers down South currently
experiencing severe drought—would like the ruinous mistakes of the south to be
repeated in the environment of northern Australia.


“For this reason, one of our first moves in Government was to ban cotton
growing.


“And of course it is simply delusory to suppose we could simply transplant the
Riverina or Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to the Top End.


“In line with the National Water Initiative, and the work of the National Water
Commission, we are establishing water control districts, with representation
from local farming and community stakeholders on advisory committees.


“We are actively developing water allocation plans which will indicate the
availability of water for consumptive purposes within these control districts,
and these are expected to be completed for Alice Springs in 2007; Katherine and
Mataranka in 2008; and Darwin Rural area and Daly catchment in 2009.


Minister Scrymgour also welcomed increased resources to the Bureau of
Meteorology.


“Our water resources staff work very closely with the Bureau already through a
partnership agreement in which we supply them with crucial data,” Ms Scrymgour.


“If the extra allocation to the Bureau increases the capacity and distribution
of our remote sensing networks, this will of great benefit to many thousands of
Territorians.”