FEDERAL Member for Nicholls, Sam Birrell, says most of the Murray-Darling Basin plan (MDBP) can be completed without further damaging irrigation communities or pushing up prices for basic foods, but only if the Albanese Government backs down on water buybacks.
Victorian and NSW Governments have requested more time to complete water recovery via Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) projects but Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said at the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council (MinCo) meeting on February 24 that “…delivering the Basin Plan will include the purchase of water so that all targets can be delivered.”
Mr Birrell said, “Two more years is all that is needed to avoid the negative social and economic buybacks and deliver the plan in full through investment in water saving projects.
“Despite projects delays being caused by the pandemic and floods, irrigation communities are being denied the time to meet water recovery targets in the least harmful way.
“The Albanese Government seems hellbent on meeting a deadline for completion on the Basin Plan that is no longer achievable without the Government purchasing billions of litres of water through buyback, a move that will reduce water available for irrigation, decrease productivity, increase costs for irrigators that remain, and ultimately add significantly to cost of living pressured for Australian families,” he said.
The Murray-Darling Basin is responsible for producing around 40 percent of our food and fibre and generates $22B at the farmgate with the multiplier in our communities and economy increasing that figure to around $80B.
1 in 3 litres of irrigation water is already diverted to the environment under the MDBP but with an additional 450Gl and making up existing shortfalls, the Government could be looking to purchase over 760Gl in coming years just to meet the June 2024 deadline.
“That is more than half the average amount of irrigation water used in the entire Goulburn Murray Irrigation District over the past four years,” Mr Birrell said.
“It represents 25 percent of the total irrigation water in the southern basin which stretches from the NSW Riverina through Victoria and into the Riverland of South Australia.”
Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing remains steadfast in her support for SDLAM projects as a means of completing the plan and Mr Birrell says the Federal Government needs to start listening and take buybacks off the table.
“25 percent less water for food and fibre production will put jobs, businesses and towns at risk,” Mr Birrell said.
“The loss of production combined with increased costs for farmers will increase the cost to consumers, cost of living is already the biggest challenge for Australian families, and this will make it infinitely worse.”
“It’s not too late to reconsider and work with basin states to complete the projects they have already committed to and deliver water for the environment without resorting to harmful and inflationary buybacks,” said Mr Birrell.
