Member for Hammond Adrian Pederick MP is calling on South Australia's Water Minister Susan Close to put more focus on the Murray Darling Basin Plan after Labor's Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek conceded it will not be delivered in full or on time as promised. 

Prior to both the State and Federal elections Labor promised they would deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan, but since forming government in 2022 there have been no new water efficiency projects approved. 

Adrian Pederick said that the inaction we have seen from the Labor Government is in stark contrast to the former Liberal Government which contracted 23 gigalitres during the last 12 months of its term and had a list of other potential projects in the pipeline. 

"The River Murray is the lifeblood of much of my electorate and the fact that Tanya Plibersek and Susan Close have only now realised the Plan will not be delivered shows how removed they are from the realities of life in the Basin", Mr Pederick said.

This comes after South Australian Water Minister Susan Close missed the peak of the River Murray Flood event by prioritising a trip to Europe over one of the most significant flooding events our state has seen. 

"Susan Close needs to get her priorities in order and work with her federal counterpart on mapping a pathway forward for the Murray Darling Basin Plan so that Basin communities can get the certainty they deserve," Mr Pederick said.