00:00No, look, I'm not having this negotiation in the media, but let's be clear, there's no obligation on the ACT
00:07to provide water to New South Wales.
00:09We do so only under an arrangement where there is something in return for us.
00:14There's a historical arrangement with Queenbeyan Pallari, where we'll see Gugong Dam physically sits in New South Wales.
00:22But there is no such arrangement with the Gas Council.
00:27So I just need to be clear to them, stop spending money on projects and feasibility studies and designs on
00:33the assumption you're just going to get ACT water without there being some sort of trade-off.
00:39And that comes from the New South Wales Government.
00:42The Gas Council is not in a position to negotiate with us on anything, because they have nothing to offer.
00:47It's the New South Wales Government.
00:49And so the arrangements with Queenbeyan and any extension of water rights there are that the water is replaced by
00:56the New South Wales Government.
00:57They will give us water from somewhere else.
00:59So until that's on the table, we're not just going to continue to extend ACT water further and further into
01:07New South Wales.
01:08And equally, we're not going to provide services at a loss to parts of New South Wales that are effectively
01:15suburbs of Canberra.
01:17So that's just a very straightforward, obvious thing.
01:19I mean, any ACT Government that just wrote a blank check to say,
01:23I'll develop wherever you want on the other side of the border using our water and our services, would be
01:28mad.
01:29And we're not going down that path.
01:31But that's been clear for years.
01:33So the only thing that's changed in this whole process is the Gas Valley Council's position.
01:40And I've kept this out of the media, deliberately.
01:43And I won't be saying anything further on it for now.
01:46We've got a negotiation with New South Wales and the Commonwealth to pursue.
01:52I'm not having fights with the Gas Men.
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