By Aaron Cordy
NORTHERN Victoria has again been left high and soon-to-be dry when the Albanese Government announced more than $94M of funding for South Australian Basin communities on the same day that Duxton Water agreed to sell 30,614ML of Australian water entitlements to the Federal Government.
The sale includes both high security and general security water entitlements across several regions and river systems, for approximately $121.3M.
Co-Chair of the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District Water Leadership Forum, Suzanna Sheed, has called on the Federal Labor Government to stop stripping water from food production at a time when Australians are already struggling with the cost of living.
“This policy will directly hurt regional communities, reduce food production, and ultimately impact all Australians through higher food prices,” said Ms Sheed.
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) said the announcement to purchase 30,614ML of water from Duxton Water has sent off alarm bells in Basin communities. VFF President Brett Hosking said the $121.3M water sale would hurt farmers and regional communities the most.
“While the wealthy shareholders of Duxton Water in inner-city seats might receive a financial benefit out of today’s announcement, it destroys family farms and their ability to get on with the job of farming and growing food,” said Mr Hosking.
“We’ve seen the Albanese Government stand up for the voters of Adelaide, and the steel workers of Whyalla. Why is it kicking family farmers and destroying the dairy industry in northern Victoria. It’s about time they stand up for regional communities and family farms.”
Transparency from the Commonwealth Government is the biggest around the buybacks, as well as siphoning out vital water from food-producing communities.
“Where is the transparency? This is a massive, single-market-distorting deal, and there is no clarity about where the water will come from. Will it be sourced from the Upper Murray, below the Barmah Choke, or the Goulburn River? Which state is going to bear the brunt of this?” said David McKenzie, member of the GMID Water Leadership Forum and director of Opteon Valuers, as he slammed the recent announcement of up to 100GL of additional water buybacks from large corporate holders.
“The outcome is that water managers cannot begin to plan for the changed usage patterns that will likely affect irrigation next season. There is no clarity on whether this new water can even be delivered especially when the Goulburn River is already at capacity. High unseasonal flows are acknowledged to be damaging the local environment, yet there is still no planning to deal with the socio-economic impact of these buybacks.”
Victoria has stood firm against the buyback, with both political parties rejecting the Federal Governments reasoning behind the buybacks. This is in part why Victoria has again been snubbed by the Federal Government investing millions of dollars into Basin communities, despite Victoria delivering more water than any other state to the 450GL.
“Victoria does not support the Commonwealth’s open-tender buybacks. Large-scale, untargeted water purchases have significant consequences for local communities. Victoria is working to meet our Murray-Darling Basin Plan obligations without harming our regional communities,” said Victorian Minister for Water Gayle Tierney.
