Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (13:05): I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution to debate on the Water Management Amendment (Intergovernmental Agreements) Bill 2025, introduced by my good friend the hardworking member for Barwon. It is yet another example of the member for Barwon getting on the front foot and taking a proactive approach through the Parliament to make adequate representations on behalf of his community. We all love our electorates. They are our homes. We go out, gather information and make representations but, ultimately, we bring the issues and concerns of our electorates to Parliament to be activated appropriately. The bill is a great example of what the member for Barwon does.

I am delighted to see the amendment of the member for Cootamundra to send the bill to a committee. The member for Barwon has advised me he is comfortable with that move. It is a positive step forward, and the Government supports it. It is another example of the Parliament working together for a good outcome. We have theatrics and argy‑bargy in this place, which I tend to not engage in, but the best outcomes are achieved by working together. Intergovernmental agreements, by their nature, often require much agility. Whether it is responding to a national emergency, delivering infrastructure programs or negotiating funding arrangements, governments must be able to act swiftly and collaboratively.

Intergovernmental agreements are built on mutual understanding and cooperation, and the release of sensitive information—even if New South Wales does not consider it sensitive—could breed uncertainty and hesitation among our partners and stakeholders. We must preserve the integrity of those negotiations to ensure that our collective efforts remain focused on achieving sustainable water management outcomes. At this point, I acknowledge the ongoing plight of water preservation and supply in Far West New South Wales. We saw horrific images during the drought some years ago. The member for Barwon spent nearly every minute of every day advocating on behalf of his community. Whether they were primary producers or local businesses, the member for Barwon understood their plight and was by their side.

The bill proposes that all draft intergovernmental agreements about matters concerning the Murray‑Darling Basin be tabled in the Parliament for 15 sitting days before being finalised. Mandating the tabling of draft intergovernmental agreements before they have been agreed to potentially risks setting a precedent that could extend well beyond water policy. I know that is not the intention of the member for Barwon, who is a man of high principle and integrity, in introducing the bill. However, legislatively, that may occur. The bill may open the door to similar legislative requirements for other intergovernmental arrangements, including those covering health, infrastructure, education and disaster response. As members know, precedence matters in this place and elsewhere. Members must be very careful about what they do because this bill could be used to substantiate other legislative reforms and influence other debates. The health of the Murray‑Darling Basin has a direct and profound impact on our communities, environment and economy. I  now reside very proudly in Campbelltown, but the member for Barwon and other members will know that I was born and raised in Dubbo, in western New South Wales.

New South Wales plays a central role in shaping and delivering the commitments made under the Murray‑Darling Basin Plan. Complex and time-sensitive undertakings often involve extensive collaboration with the Commonwealth and other basin jurisdictions. To conclude, New South Wales would be potentially disadvantaged in our negotiations with other jurisdictions, which may leave our communities potentially worse off. The intent of the bill is sound in principle and comes from a good place, like everything the member for Barwon does in the Legislative Assembly. I am delighted that the bill will be referred to a committee, and I am even more delighted that the member for Barwon is comfortable with that. I feel bad that the Government is not in a position to support his bill. I like supporting his legislation and everything else the member for Barwon does in this place because he is a good man and hardworking member.