The South Australian Government has called on all users of the Murray-Darling River Basin to support the sustainable use of the water system, with State Water Minister Paul Caica saying that the time for resolving the over-allocation is fast approaching.

 

"We have just experienced the worst drought on record which revealed the devastating legacy of over-allocation," Mr Caica said.

 

"In South Australia we are still dealing with the problem of salinity and acid sulphate soils – more than two years after the drought broke.”

 

Mr Caica reiterated the State Government’s opposition to the findings of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority which concluded that 2,750 gigalitres is sufficient environmental flows, citing independent findings.

 

Mr Caica’s calls come after Premier Jay Weatherill addressed the Irrigation Australia’s 7th Asian Regional Conference, saying that upstream irrigators need to ensure more is left for environmental flow and that wastage is minimised.