Senator ROBERTS ( Queensland ) ( 15:57 ): I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the winter crop is failing along the Murray River irrigation area owing to poor winter rains, (ii) if this crop fails, farmers who have invested in plantings will be in serious financial difficulty and the regional communities they support will be devastated, (iii) the potential loss of wheat and fodder will take food off the tables of consumers nationally, and necessitate food imports, eventually leading to higher prices for everyday Australians, and (iv) currently there is 3,600 GL of water in storage in the Hume and Dartmouth dams – the spring snow thaw and rains have started and the inflow into those dams has begun; and (b) calls on the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management, (Mr Littleproud) to immediately release 200 GL of water from storage, for irrigation by general security licence holders to save the winter crop and to save rural communities. I seek leave to make a short statement. Leave not granted.