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Thursday, 15 March 2012
Page: 1845

Senator XENOPHON (South Australia) (11:55): I, and also on behalf of Senators Birmingham and Hanson-Young, move:

That the Senate—

   (a)   notes that:

      (i)   since late 2010, the Renmark Paringa Council has made requests of the South Australian Government for assistance to reinforce levee banks along the River Murray and its tributaries and creeks in its council area, in order to minimise the risk of flooding to key infrastructure and assets, including environmental assets,

      (ii)   current levee banks in the Renmark Paringa Council area have not been substantially maintained since their construction in the late 1950s,

      (iii)   the cost of protecting the Renmark Paringa Council area from major flooding is in the vicinity of $2.8 million for capital works, which is some 50 per cent of the council's annual revenue, and

      (iv)   there is some $36.6 million in South Australian Government and Australian Government infrastructure assets in the Renmark Paringa Council area that would be at risk in a major flood event; and

   (b)   calls on the South Australian Government to urgently address the need to undertake the capital works necessary to minimise the risk of flood damage in the Renmark Paringa Council area.

Question agreed to.