Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Environment Minister Peter Garrett must announce his decision on the fate of South Australia’s Lower Lakes.

After a ten-day period of public consultation late last year, Minister Garrett had twenty working days to decide upon the appropriateness of seawater flooding of Lakes Alexandrina and Albert. An announcement was expected by December 31 2008.

“It’s time for an announcement from the Minister,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

“The Greens want to see Minister Garrett rule out seawater flooding of the Lower Lakes.

“Rather than preparing for the worst-case scenario, we should be proactive in avoiding it.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on Environment Minister Peter Garrett to be upfront with South Australians as to his decision on flooding the Lower Lakes with salt water.

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBCA) the Environment Minister had twenty working days to respond to the South Australian Government's request for approval of removing the barrages and letting salt water into the Lower Lakes. These twenty working days expired on December 31 2008.

"It's disappointing that no announcement has been made yet by the Minister, although his deadline to do so has passed," said Senator Hanson-Young.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says ten days is not long enough for public consultation on the prospect of flooding South Australia’s Lower Lakes with salt water.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett provided a ten-day period for public consultation which concludes today, and is set to decide whether or not he will approve salt water flooding by December 31 this year.

“Ten days for public consultation on such critical environmental, social and economic impacts is a joke, said Senator Hanson-Young.

The passage of the Water Amendment Bill through the Senate will not deliver the best outcomes for the future of the Murray Darling Basin, say the Australian Greens.

"The future health of the Murray Darling system is at stake here, and yet we are still seeing short-term parochial politics ruling in the face of dire circumstances," said Senator Rachel Siewert.

"Make no mistake - the Greens support basin reform - and we have fought all along to make it better and to make it happen sooner," she said.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says that salt water flooding of South Australia’s Lower Lakes would be environmentally, socially and economically disastrous for lower Murray communities.

The South Australian Government has requested advance approval from its federal counterparts to let sea water into Lakes Alexandrina and Albert if the drought continues.

“Sea water flooding of the Lower Lakes would be nothing less than disastrous for this cherished part of South Australia,” she said.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for Victorian Premier John Brumby to stick to the facts on Murray-Darling water and not resort to public relations spin.

“South Australians, who have less water, will be appalled that professional public relations staff from the Victorian Premier’s office have been ‘spinning’ journalists in South Australia to ramp up support for Victoria’s North-South Pipeline,” she said.

“It’s a tactic which South Australians will see straight through.”

The Australian Greens have urged Water Minister Penny Wong to rise above parochial politics and live up to her role of leading the nation on water policy, saying the House of Representatives should accept the amendments passed by the Senate today.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she was surprised to find Minister Wong had been playing off South Australian towns against other communities further upstream on water security in the Murray-Darling Basin.

"Minister Wong has pitted the communities of Dubbo, Wagga and Mildura against communities in Adelaide, Port Pirie, Whyalla and Keith – by suggesting the former will have ample water and the latter will be 'at risk' from Senate amendments to the Water Act," she said.