Senator Conroy: The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question: Portfolio Budget Statements, program component 1.1.4 Water Information, is a departmental component. The program component's primary functions are: Issuing national water information standards Collecting and publishing water information Conducting regular national water assessments Publishing an annual National Water Account Providing a national flood warning and forecasting service Providing water availability forecasts Development of water information systems Water information research The Government provided departmental funding for this program component as part of the "Water for the Future" initiative. Estimated expenditure from this funding for the 2011-12 financial year and the forward estimate period is: 2011-12 $36.8m 2012-13 $39.3m 2013-14 $39.5m 2014-15 $39.8m