Water Allocation (April 21)
Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Alberta’s water allocation system is out of date.
It was designed to provide for the irrigation districts first but also has to balance the water needs of our growing population and industry. Instead of dealing with the problem up front, the government is allowing irrigation districts to reallocate their water for commercial use. To the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: how does this move towards commoditization of water do anything but jeopardize the province’s ability to protect water for agricultural use?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hayden: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. While the licensing is handled under the Minister of Environment, I am pleased to report that with the new methods that are used now and the new approach that is used with irrigation, we’re able to cover far more acres with less water than we did in the past, which is going to open up opportunities, I think, in the future for other uses by Albertans.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Pastoor: Thank you. Has this minister considered what other countries’ approaches are to water conservation, particularly, and to irrigation, and might they work here?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hayden: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, in fact, we have. Our agriculture industry is using the most modern technologies. The changeover is actually quite advanced, whereby we’re able to irrigate crops with far less evaporation and far more of the water actually going to the growth of those crops.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Pastoor: Thank you. Given that this shift could take away farmers’ rights to hold a plebiscite on water allocation, how can the minister be certain that farmers are really willing to permanently give up their water rights?
Mr. Hayden: Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe that farmers are wanting to give up any water rights with respect to the requirements that they have for their agricultural operations. It wouldn’t make sense. There’s no common sense in an approach that would reserve water rights beyond those that are required to grow the crops that these agricultural producers grow.
Alberta Hansard, April 21, 2010