Media
release - 19 April 2009 - Minister for Climate
Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, will
attend the first meeting of the United States-led
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate
in Washington on 27-28 April.
The Major Economies
Forum, announced by President Obama in March,
is designed to facilitate frank dialogue
between major developed and developing nations
to help generate momentum toward a successful
outcome at the UN climate change meeting
in Copenhagen this year.
President Obama has
invited the leaders of 16 major economies
and the Secretary General of the United
Nations to designate representatives to
participate in this first meeting in Washington.
“The Australian Government
strongly supports this US initiative to
help bring us closer to the global agreement
we all need,” Senator Wong said.
“The world needs US
leadership on this issue - and the Obama
Administration has already injected a great
deal of confidence in the process through
its unambiguous commitment to tackle climate
change.”
The Australian Government
is very encouraged by the high priority
that the United States is placing on climate
change, including its commitments to mid
and long-term emissions reduction goals
and the introduction of an emissions trading
scheme.
“But for any global
agreement, momentum must be driven by many
nations,” Senator Wong said.
“Leadership must be
shown on many fronts.”
Small Block Irrigators
Exit Grant package expanded
Media release - 24 April
2009 - More irrigators in the Murray-Darling
Basin can apply for the Small Block Irrigators
Exit Grant Package under revised guidelines
announced today by Minister for Climate
Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong.
Senator Wong said the
revised guidelines reflected the changes
approved by Parliament during negotiations
over the Government's economic stimulus
package in February.
"Under these revisions,
the Small Block Irrigators Exit Grant Package
has been extended to irrigators with farms
between 15 and 40 hectares," Senator
Wong said.
This means that an irrigator
may now be eligible for the grant if:
on 20 September 2008,
they owned up to 15 hectares of farm land
and at least 10 megalitres of tradeable
water entitlements; or
on 13 February 2009, they owned more than
15 hectares and up to 40 hectares of farmland
and at least 10 megalitres of tradeable
water entitlements.
Irrigators must sell all their water entitlements
to the Australian Government to be eligible
for the package.
"This expansion
of the Small Block Irrigators Exit Grant
Package provides increased opportunities
for irrigators to exit the industry while
remaining in their own homes and communities,"
Senator Wong said.
"This decision
will also help return more water to the
Basin's stressed rivers and wetlands."
Senator Wong encouraged
interested irrigators to apply to Centrelink
promptly to allow an assessment of eligibility.
Application forms must be lodged with Centrelink
by 30 June 2009.
"Small block irrigators
who intend to apply must also offer their
water entitlements for sale to the Commonwealth
through the current tender process by 30
June 2009," Senator Wong said.
Senator Wong said the
package now comprised an Irrigation Exit
Grant of up to $150,000, up to $10,000 for
advice and re-training, and up to $20,000
to help remove permanent plantings and production-related
infrastructure.
"Access to planning
and retraining assistance is available through
Centrelink's Rural Service Officers who
will help irrigators develop plans for their
property and seek alternative employment
after leaving irrigated agriculture."
Small block irrigators
seeking further information about the program
should contact Centrelink on 1800 050 015
or their local Centrelink office. More information
on selling water to the Australian Government
is available at www.environment.gov.au or
by calling 1800 218 478.
+ More
New website to track
Murray-Darling Basin water storages
Media release - 23 April
2009 - A new interactive website will be
updated weekly to show water availability
in public water storages across the Murray-Darling
Basin, Minister for Climate Change and Water,
Senator Penny Wong, said today.
"The new website,
going live today, provides easily-accessible
information on water held in public storages
right across the Murray-Darling Basin,"
Senator Wong said.
Senator Wong said the
Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) had
developed the new site, which includes data
collated from water management sources in
the four Basin states.
"Water managers,
irrigators, community and environment groups,
students, and anyone else with an interest
can just click on an interactive map of
the Basin for the latest data on water held
in public storage anywhere in the Basin.
"They can also
check the current volume of water in each
storage facility expressed as a figure and
a percentage. And for the River Murray,
current storage levels can be compared against
historical comparisons at the click of a
mouse.
"Visitors will
also be able to access information on the
latest seasonal water allocations via links
to each relevant State water agency."
In response to public
interest, the water volume and level of
South Australia's Lower Lakes will also
be viewable on the website and updated weekly.
"People visiting
the site can also download a detailed quarterly
Basin-wide water resource spreadsheet, which
includes estimates of water held in private
storages in the northern Basin, and commitments
in each river system."
Senator Wong said the
quarterly spreadsheet builds on a version
that first went online in September last
year, and was most recently updated to February
2009.
With the MDBA's recent
drought report stating that inflows into
the Basin were the worst on record for this
time of year, accurate information about
water storages was vital, Senator Wong said.
"There is no doubt
we are facing a critical situation in the
Murray-Darling Basin after years of drought
and over-allocation, and in the face of
climate change," Senator Wong said.
"The Rudd Government
is taking action to tackle this crisis by
committing $3.1 billion to buy water to
return to Basin rivers and wetlands. And
$3.7 billion is already allocated to specific
projects in the Basin to improve irrigation
infrastructure and help communities deal
with a future with less water."
The new "Water
in Storages" site is available at www.mdba.gov.au/water/waterinstorage.
