❓ A parliamentary question addresses concerns about the Water and Rivers Commission's capacity to manage water resources, citing a leaked Auditor General's report. The Minister acknowledges issues but doesn't confirm the report's findings, citing its pending release and highlighting ongoing reviews and consultations.
AnsweredQoN 1070Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to a leaked report of the Auditor General, which found that a number of factors have seriously affected the Water and Rivers Commission’s capacity to manage the State’s water resources. (1) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the State’s ground and surface water monitoring program has been reduced to a point that it can no longer accurately determine the sustainable level of ground water and surface water used in Western Australia? (2) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that licensed water use in nearly a third of WA’s ground water management areas exceeds the current sustainability limit? (3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(1) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the State’s ground and surface water monitoring program has been reduced to a point that it can no longer accurately determine the sustainable level of ground water and surface water used in Western Australia? (2) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that licensed water use in nearly a third of WA’s ground water management areas exceeds the current sustainability limit? (3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(2) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that licensed water use in nearly a third of WA’s ground water management areas exceeds the current sustainability limit? (3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(1) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the State’s ground and surface water monitoring program has been reduced to a point that it can no longer accurately determine the sustainable level of ground water and surface water used in Western Australia? (2) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that licensed water use in nearly a third of WA’s ground water management areas exceeds the current sustainability limit? (3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(2) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that licensed water use in nearly a third of WA’s ground water management areas exceeds the current sustainability limit? (3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(3) Will the minister confirm the Auditor General’s finding that the Water and Rivers Commission has not determined allocation limits for a significant number of water resources, despite issuing licences for these resources? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
(1)-(3) I am not sure about the probity of this question. I certainly have not seen the Auditor General’s report, which is due to be tabled on 24 September. Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
Ms S.E. Walker: Have you seen a draft? Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS: No. The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
The Auditor General is an independent officer of the Parliament. To talk about and circulate a draft report of the Auditor General is very serious. Mr Speaker, I leave that matter in your hands, as the Speaker of this Parliament. There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
There are not a lot of new issues in the matters raised by the member. Earlier this year I commissioned a report by Derek Carew-Hopkins to examine the two departments under my care - the Department of Environmental Protection and the Water and Rivers Commission. A large section of the report was devoted to the Water and Rivers Commission, which report referred to many of the issues raised by the member. Since that time, I have examined those issues and worked with Mr Carew-Hopkins, who is now the acting chief executive officer, to implement measures to ensure the best possible management of water resources. One of the issues we have been looking at for about eight months is the management of the water resource. There have been consultation groups, and 62 meetings have been held with local people. We have been looking at those issues in-depth. The report from Mr Carew-Hopkins pointed out that over about the past eight years water resource allocation, investigation and the actual work of allocating licences has been systematically de-funded. It was de-funded when the change was made from the Water Authority of Western Australia to the Water Corporation. Funding cuts have occurred in our time of government as well. We have been looking at that issue very seriously for some months, since receiving Mr Carew-Hopkins’ report.
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