Summary

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The majority voted against an amendment moved by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

According the Senator Hanson-Young, the amendment requires "that there be basin-wide modelling done prior to any adjustment in the levels of sustainable diversion limits to ensure that we know exactly what the impact of the changes to that water recovery, either up or down, will actually be".(See Senator Hanson-Young's contribution for more information about what the amendment does. ) She said that this modelling must be available to the public, the affected communities and the parliament.

Background to the bill

The purpose of the bill is to allow the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to make adjustments to the long-term average sustainable diversion limit set by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.(See the bills digest (809KB) for more information on the bill and its purpose.) Sustainable diversion limits are the average water quantities that can be taken from the Murray-Darling basin sustainably and their aim is to return water to the environment.

References

Votes Not passed by a modest majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Penny Wright SA Yes
Australian Labor Party (67% turnout) 0 Yes 20 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Carol Brown Tasmania No
Stephen Conroy Victoria No
Trish Crossin NT No
Don Farrell SA No
David Feeney Victoria No
Mark Furner Queensland No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Joe Ludwig Queensland No
Kate Lundy ACT No
Anne McEwen SA No
Jan McLucas Queensland No
Claire Moore Queensland No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Lisa Singh Tasmania No
Ursula Stephens NSW No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Matt Thistlethwaite NSW No
Lin Thorp Tasmania No
Mark Bishop WA Absent
Doug Cameron NSW Absent
Bob Carr NSW Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Jacinta Collins Victoria Absent
Chris Evans WA Absent
John Faulkner NSW Absent
Gavin Marshall Victoria Absent
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party Absent
John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party Yes
Stephen Parry Tasmania Deputy President No
Nick Xenophon SA Independent Yes
Liberal Party (33% turnout) 0 Yes 9 No
Christopher Back WA No
Simon Birmingham SA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Sean Edwards SA No
Helen Kroger Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
Anne Ruston SA No
Arthur Sinodinos NSW No
Dean Smith WA No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Cory Bernardi SA Absent
Sue Boyce Queensland Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
David Bushby Tasmania Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Alan Eggleston WA Absent
David Fawcett SA Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
Mitch Fifield Victoria Absent
Bill Heffernan NSW Absent
Gary Humphries ACT Absent
David Johnston WA Absent
Brett Mason Queensland Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Michael Ronaldson Victoria Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 5 No
Ron Boswell Queensland No
Barnaby Joyce Queensland No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
John Williams NSW No
John Hogg Queensland President Absent
Totals (61% turnout) 11 Yes – 35 No