Urgent calls for MDBP review

DAMAGE TO THE REGION… Committee for Greater Shepparton CEO, Sam Birrell believes no more water should be removed from the GMID consumptive pool. Photo: Katelyn Morse.
DAMAGE TO THE REGION… Committee for Greater Shepparton CEO, Sam Birrell believes no more water should be removed from the GMID consumptive pool. Photo: Katelyn Morse.

Thousands of jobs and millions of dollars lost

FRESH calls for a review into the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) have been called following the release of concerning statistics on job losses and multi-millions in productivity loss already experienced across the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) alone.

As a direct result of the MDBP, the GMID has already experienced the loss of at least 1,000 jobs and a loss of productivity of over $550M per year, with the continuation of the plan and disregard to the socio-economic impacts leading to unceasing risk to communities and industry.

Compelled by recent political commentary in relation to the future of the plan, coupled with the available data, council’s delegate of region 2 of the Murray Darling Association, Cr Dennis Patterson echoed Greater Shepparton City Council’s recently voiced concern.

Local groups and council are calling for a review to address a range of concerns including the environmental damage from inter-valley flows on the Goulburn River, the potential for review of the socio-economic impact test, which could further impact on our region and non-strategic and unlimited water buy backs.

Research commissioned by the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) Water Leadership Group in 2016 found that the early stages of implementation of the plan has led to a 20 percent reduction on average water use in the GMID, borne largely by the dairy sector, a resultant loss of $200M per year in the value of farm gate production, a loss of $360M in output value for the dairy processing sector and a loss of $25M in annual farm gate value for the mixed farming sector.

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe said, “Council is calling for a review of the MDBP based on data now available following the plan having being implemented over the past five years.

“Based on the outcomes to date there is the need and opportunity to review the plan and ensure that decision-making is based on up-to-date information,” Mayor O’Keeffe said.

Committee for Greater Shepparton CEO, Sam Birrell said, “The committee remains steadfast in its position that the critical thing in relation to the MDBP is that no more water is removed from the GMID consumptive pool and that the agreement reached between the federal water minister and state water ministers at the ministerial council in December to develop a real socio-economic test be adhered to.

“When water leaves a region, so does wealth.

“The value of water isn’t the price of the water itself. It’s not the $4,000 (approximately) to purchase a ML of water, it’s the crop that it grows. The value is also all of the people that are employed during the development process and sale of that crop, and that’s why the removal of water has such a big impact on regional communities.”