Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...

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LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 2009
(5) Given that there are plans by the NSW Government to amalgamate more than 160 Government
agencies together into 13 super-departments in the near future, will this untimely decision be
reversed by the Minister?
Answer—
I am advised by State Water:
(1) In its recent restructure, State Water identified Tamworth as an area of growing importance which
required the allocation of more resources, and consequently larger office accommodation was required.
(2) to (4) The relocation will result in a saving of $8,000 pa in annual rent and provide better services to
the local community.
(5) State Water is a state-owned corporation and is not affected by the restructure of public sector
agencies.
*7304 MR T SMITH—REQUEST FOR MEETING—Ms Katrina Hodgkinson asked the Minister for Water,
and Minister for Regional Development—
(1) Why has the Director General of the Department of Commerce not replied to the 6 August 2009
letter from Mr T Smith of Yass, in response to the Director General's letter (reference RML
M09⁄3785 dated 22 July 2009) asking him to provide specific details of alleged occupational and
health and safety concerns?
(2) Given that Mr Smith has previously provided information to the Department with no outcome, will
the Director General meet with Mr Smith as requested in his letter of 6 August?
Answer—
As the matter does not relate to the Water portfolio, I suggest that the Member direct her question to the
relevant Minister.
*7305 LIVING MURRAY PROGRAM—Ms Katrina Hodgkinson asked the Deputy Premier, Minister for
Climate Change and the Environment, and Minister for Commerce—
(1) Given the announcement by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority that it has received more than 100
willing sellers under the latest water buy back offer, how much water has actually been bought by
NSW under the Living Murray Program?
(2) What was the security status of the water bought?
(3) What was the amount expended by the NSW Government in purchasing this water?
(4) How many more permanent water entitlements are required to meet the commitment made by the
NSW Government to the Living Murray Program for 2009?
Answer—
(1) 128,520 megalitres of Long-Term Cap Equivalent (LTCE) water access entitlement have been
purchased by NSW from willing sellers under The Living Murray (TLM) program to date.
(2) TLM reports recovered entitlement on the common basis of megalitres of LTCE, which
approximates the long term average allocation available to the entitlement. Most of the entitlement
purchased by NSW under the TLM program is general security entitlement, with approximately 20
per cent being supplementary access entitlement and only small volumes of high security
entitlement.
(3) Approximately $209 million has been expended by NSW in purchasing this water entitlement, with
approximately $147 million of this total provided by the other jurisdictions as investment partners
under the TLM program.
(4) TLM has an overall target of 500,000 megalitres LTCE. NSW will achieve approximately 220,000
megalitres LTCE through a mix of water purchase and infrastructure measures that are finalised or
currently in progress. The other partner governments (Commonwealth, Victoria and South Australia)
and the Murray Darling Basin Authority have projects in progress which are expected to recover the
balance of the 500,000 megalitre program target.
*7306 STEEL RESLEEPING—HORNSBY ELECTORATE—Mrs Judy Hopwood asked the Minister for
Transport, and Minister for the Illawarra—
Have any Rail Infrastructure Corporation new works allocations in Budget Paper No. 4 (2009-2010
Budget) been targeted to "steel resleeping" in the Hornsby electorate?
Answer—
I am advised:
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