WONG: Thank you very much for coming. First can I just open with talking about Mr Abbott and what Mr Abbott says he is going to do tomorrow. Mr Abbott claims to be a fair dinkum environmentalist. Well he has got 20 days to prove that. And he’s got a fair bit of work to do. This is a man who says that climate change is rubbish, although he used more colourful language than that. This is a man who talks about the so-called settled science of climate change.

So at a time where Australia has just come out of its hottest decade on record – the hottest decade in recorded history in this nation – we have the Leader of the Opposition still saying that climate change isn’t real. So Mr Abbott has a lot of work to do before he can be taken seriously on this issue because the fact is, as he talks about the so-called settled science of climate change after our hottest decade on record, what we know is that Tony Abbott simply can’t be trusted on climate change.

Can I also go to Mr Spencer who I understand has ended his protests and is seeking medical attention. Can I say this is very welcome news that Mr Spencer has chosen to end this protest. This is very welcome news. The Government and many people around the country were very concerned about Mr Spencer’s health. We’d been urging Mr Spencer for some time to end his protest, to seek medical attention and we are very pleased that he has decided to come down and I know that all who follow these events will feel the same way. Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Is his hunger strike going to be in vain?

WONG: Well look Mr Spencer has certainly made his point very clear. We’re very pleased given the concerns for his health that he has chosen to come down to end this protest. As we have previously made clear, Dr Kelly, the Parliamentary Secretary for Water, has been open on behalf of the Prime Minister to meeting with Mr Spencer to discuss some of his concerns. And as I understand, Dr Kelly has indicated that that offer remains open.

JOURNALIST: Will the PM be meeting with him?

WONG: Well Dr Kelly has, on behalf of the Prime Minister, offered to meet with Mr Spencer. But as I said, our primary response at this point is that we are very pleased that he has come down. We’re very pleased given the concerns for Mr Spencer’s health that he has made this decision.

JOURNALIST: Minister can we just ask you about the deal brokered, the in-principle agreement between New South Wales and South Australia for environmental flows from Menindee Lakes? Do you expect New South Wales to do anything other than what is in its self-interest in terms of keeping itself below that 640GL cap?

WONG: Well look what I asked for publicly, and also the Premier did, was that New South Wales exercise its discretion to act fairly to provide some additional environmental flows downstream.

Now as yet, we don’t know the detail of what will be available. In part that will be a function of what gets to Menindee Lakes. And then after that what happens in terms of whatever can be agreed between the state governments. This is a welcome signal from the New South Wales Premier, we welcome it. I’ve indicated that I think it’s a very good sign and an indication of an example of the states being willing to work together on this difficult issue. But we will wait and see how much water does become available. And as we have said, the Commonwealth is willing to facilitate these arrangements.

JOURNALIST: Minister are you really saying here that this is just a bit of political posturing by the states? Because all of your public comments so far, without directly saying it, seem to indicate that you, like many others, believe that no water will actually get to the Lower Lakes in South Australia.

WONG: I don’t think that’s an accurate reflection of what I have said. What I have said is that we don’t know as yet the total amount of water that will be available. We don’t how much will get to the Lakes; we don’t know how much will be available for environmental flows. That will become clear over the coming days and weeks in terms of what is available. What we are pleased with is that New South Wales has indicated a willingness to exercise its discretion fairly; to enable further downstream flows. That’s a good thing.

JOURNALIST: But isn’t that just posturing...

WONG: I don’t agree with that Michael...

JOURNALIST: The only reason they have agreed to that is because the Premier has taken to some campaigning by the local newspaper here. And you perhaps believe deep down that the Lower Lakes won’t get a drop of this water.

WONG: I don’t agree with that.

JOURNALIST: Can you give a guarantee now or a commitment now that you do believe that the Lower Lakes will get some of this water?

WONG: What I can give a guarantee about is we will press on with the Basin reforms that we have in place including purchasing water. Which is delivering for the first time an increase in environmental water to the system brokered by the Commonwealth Government. We have spent over $1 billion on water purchase. We’re investing a very significant amount in the Murray-Darling Basin to deal with a very big problem. We are pleased that New South Wales has said it’s willing to exercise its discretion fairly. The total amount of water that will be available is yet to become clear. We need to know how much will get to Menindee; we need to know how much will then be available. Those issues aren’t clear yet. But what is pleasing is we see that there is political will to negotiate additional environmental flows downstream.

JOURNALIST: Is any modelling ever done on what’s released at Menindee Lakes or even at Lake Victoria in an environmental flow situation. Is any modelling ever done to see how much is lost in transmission by the time it gets to the Lakes?

WONG: There is quite a lot of modelling and analysis that has been done over the years and I am sure we can provide you with more technical details. Transmission losses vary greatly and it depends from where you are measuring. So it is the case that we do lose in transmission water. As I’ve said previously, when I think in press conferences here in South Australia and also in interviews, it’s not a pipe. You don’t turn a tap on at one end and get the same amount of water out the other end. This is a river system.

But what we need to do is to continue to do all we can to return water to the River. That’s really a very tough ask. We’ve got climate change which is substantially affecting rainfall patterns in the southern part of Australia. We’ve seen an ongoing drought. And on top of that, we have had decades of mismanagement and over-allocation. So these are difficult policy questions. They require long term solutions. We are working on that. In the interim, we are very pleased that New South Wales is taking the position it has taken.

JOURNALIST: The reason I ask is because people would see a huge quantum of water upstream. But realistically, very little would probably end up at the Lakes.

WONG: Look I think that I’d leave speculation about that until the time at which we can indicate what sort of flows would be expected. And I’m sure all of you will ask me these questions on that occasion.

JOURNALIST: Minister, when is that expected? Will it take maybe a few months after March 20, for example, until we know when or how much water will arrive in the Lower Lakes?

WONG: Look I think it might be a bit early for me to give you a timeframe. The Basin Officials Committee is meeting today. I’m sure there will be some discussion on that. The latest advice I have is that it will take some time for us to determine how much water actually gets to Menindee but obviously as soon as we have further information available on this, we’ll make that available to the public.

JOURNALIST: But the chances are that how much water would flow down  and actually reach the Lower Lakes will not be known until later this year – well after the state election. After the Premier has stood up and trumpeted a so-called deal for South Australia.

WONG: Well Michael, you’ve asked me now on a number of occasions to speculate about that. I’m not going to do that. What I will say is from the Commonwealth’s perspective, as and when we have information that is available, we will make that public. We understand there is a very strong interest from not just South Australia but from many communities along the River about this issue. And we understand the importance of everybody being very clear about what is available.

JOURNALIST: Minister I think a lot of people may welcome the fact that an agreement will be reached here. But the fact that there has to be an agreement – is that an indication, I guess, that the national agreement hasn’t worked? That there should be a federal body, an independent body in charge setting and making the decision about how much of this water is going down the river.

WONG: Well there is an independent body that has been put in charge of basin-wide planning. And that is the most important issue that was negotiated with the premiers. And I think this is, if I may say, I think this is an indication that the approach is working. That we are seeing a two-pronged approach where we have a new planning process based on science; a new limit being determined. But at the same time we are working through with the states how we manage in the interim. If this had been started five or 10 years ago our job would be easier. Unfortunately it wasn’t. So we’ve got to deal with what we have been given and what we have been given is a pretty tough situation. And the states have had negotiations with the Commonwealth. We’ve got a new system in place. And we’re pleased that NSW in these circumstances – ahead of the Basin Plan – has indicated a willingness to provide a fair amount. To act fairly and provide some additional flows to South Australia or downstream.

JOURNALIST: Just on rivers a bit further north. What do you make of Tony Abbott’s private member’s bill for the Wild Rivers in Queensland? Are you going to support that?

WONG: Well I think we have indicated publicly that we’re not. This is yet another indication of policy by thought bubble from Mr Abbott. And you don’t make policy simply by issuing press releases. Closing the gap for indigenous Australia is a key priority. It is also a big challenge. And what the Government has said is we will – we have – set concrete targets. We have put in place practical policies to address the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

JOURNALIST: The Government has been accused of jeopardising national security by allowing four Tamil asylum seekers on Christmas Island. What is your response to that?

WONG: The Government has made clear that as a result of the security assessments, these people will not be permitted to settle in Australia. They have been held in secure arrangements on Christmas Island. I think what that indicates is the Government is very clear about ensuring there are proper security protocols in relation to asylum seekers. 

JOURNALIST: Is the whaling envoy, is he value for money? $250,000? What has it bought Australia?

WONG: This is an interesting proposition that the Opposition has been peddling on this because on the one hand they do and then don’t support legal action. On the other hand they do and now don’t support diplomatic means. So the reality is we have made clear we want to exhaust diplomatic avenues in trying to reduce and stop whaling. And the special envoy is a key part of that. It is not an easy issue. This is an issue on which clearly the Australian Government and Japan have very different views. We have said we will continue to exhaust diplomatic avenues and have left open the possibility of legal action. We feel this is an important issue. It certainly was and is an important issue to the Australian people.

JOURNALIST: Has it been worthwhile so far though?

WONG: This is the cost of diplomacy. This is if you are prepared to put your shoulder to the wheel in terms of engaging with different parties, engaging at different levels with the Japanese Government and industry, this is the sort of resourcing that is required. My view is that we said to the Australian people very clearly we would put in place this envoy and we would pursue these diplomatic avenues and that is what we are doing.

JOURNALIST: Minister just back on the Lower Lakes. What has happened to the infrastructure to make – sorry, Menindee Lakes – to make Menindee Lakes more efficient to cut back those evaporation losses?

WONG: We have a $400 million commitment to Menindee Lakes. This is a very major infrastructure project. It is an infrastructure project that requires good planning and regrettably is going to require a significant amount of time. We have I think three different phases of studies, both in terms of aquifer recharge and also potential infrastructure there, that are underway. A couple of those phases have been finalised and we will continue to work through developing a proper plan for Menindee Lakes to try and reduce the losses. It is a complex issue because we have to deal not only with losses but also Broken Hill’s water supply. And there is a range of studies and geological investigations underway.

JOURNALIST: So you are not going to have anything completed this term of government or is it something that will happen...

WONG: I have said previously on this that this will be a number of years, this project. Unfortunately it wasn’t commenced prior to us coming to government in any great detail. So we will be continuing to work through this and get as much as we are able to get done in this term of government.

JOURNALIST: Do you think that this one off boost of water to the Lower Lakes – will that actually have any impact on long term survival? Is it going to be too little, too late?

WONG: Obviously all fresh water in the Lakes is welcome. I think all South Australians would agree with that. It is true that the Lakes have been in a very difficult situation. The Lakes have been facing some of the worse impacts of drought and climate change and a lot of the communities around the Lakes have been doing it tough.  We have put a lot of money on the table. We built the pipelines in conjunction with the State Government - $120 million. We have got $200 million that we are providing the South Australian Government with to secure the long term future of the Lakes. So we are certainly putting Commonwealth investment in. It is a challenging situation because of the situation in terms of water availability. This water will be very welcome.

JOURNALIST: So can you tell is what, if anything, we expect to come out of today’s meeting with the Basin Officials Committee?

WONG: Well let’s wait and see what comes out in terms of the Basin Officials Committee. But as I have said we are working through with the states the availability of water which we believe will become clearer over the coming days and weeks.

JOURNALIST: So is it a bit, in some sense, is it a bit cruel to the communities of the Lower Lakes to be promising something that may not be able to be delivered. Is it a bit cruel on behalf of the Premier?

WONG: I don’t think it is cruel to advocate for additional water for the environment and for South Australia...

JOURNALIST: But are you getting hopes up?

WONG: ...that is a responsible thing to do. To seek to get additional environmental flows downstream and for South Australia. Mike Rann is doing what I would think the people of South Australia would expect of him which is to advocate for South Australia. As the Federal Government we are pleased that New South Wales is taking a cooperative approach.

JOURNALIST: So you don’t think that there are false hopes being raised here? That perhaps people in these communities have been given a false hope?

WONG: I think I have answered that question and what I have also said is we will make clear as and when information becomes available, what will be able to be provided. As yet, that is not clear.

ENDS