Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell has backed a Coalition push to ban further Commonwealth water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin, arguing regional communities and farmers are bearing the cost of reduced water availability.
The Coalition is introducing the Water Amendment (Ending Further Murray-Darling Basin Water Buybacks) Bill 2026, which would prevent the Commonwealth buying additional permanent Basin water entitlements.
Mr Birrell said access to reliable and affordable water remained critical for irrigators across his electorate.
“Irrigators in my electorate depend on reliable and affordable water access, but the shrinking consumptive pool is making farming increasingly difficult,” he said.
“In a regulated system, more water cannot simply be created. We need to stop removing it from agricultural production because the economic activity that it creates reaches every corner of regional communities.”
The Coalition has also announced a new Water Taskforce, chaired by Shadow Water Minister Michael McCormack, with Mr Birrell among its members.
The taskforce plans to travel through Basin and regional communities to meet irrigators, growers and councils, while developing proposals for new dams and water storage.
It will also scrutinise the Commonwealth’s water recovery program and help shape the Coalition’s water policy ahead of the next federal election.
