FEDERAL Member for Nicholls, Sam Birrell, has accused Water Minister, Tania Plibersek, of exploiting the June 2024 deadline for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan for political gains at the expense of local communities’ livelihoods.
According to Mr. Birrell, Minister Plibersek is making unfounded claims that the Basin Plan will fall short of its water recovery targets by 750 gigalitres.
“While the Minister talks about the threat to the environment and possible extinction of species, the Murray Darling Basin Authority report card makes it clear that progress is being made, but more time is required,” Mr Birrell said.
Mr Birrell said the MDBA report card acknowledges the impact widespread flooding across the Basin has had on supply, constraint, and efficiency measures under the Sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism (SDLAM).
“This mechanism is designed to deliver a 605 GL/y offset, allowing the Basin Plan to be achieved with less water recovered from consumptive users such as towns, communities, farmers and industries,” Mr Birrell said.
“In its first budget the Albanese Government set aside a secret amount for community wrecking water buybacks based on commitment to complete the plan by the 2024 deadline, rather than granting SDLAM projects more time to achieve sustainable outcomes.
“The MDBA report card says water recovery at the Basin scale remains at 98% for surface water and 92% for groundwater recovered against the Bridging the Gap target.
“That target will be met, and with additional time so will the offsets.
“Another 450 gigabytes the Water Minister wants to carve out to complete the plan ‘in full’ is additional to the water recovery target.
“The Basin Plan has always been about long-term sustainability; it must be given time to achieve the outcomes without doing irreparable harm to communities that also rely on water,” Mr BirreFEDERAL Member for Nicholls, Sam Birrell, has accused Water Minister, Tania Plibersek, of exploiting the June 2024 deadline for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan for political gains at the expense of local communities’ livelihoods.
According to Mr. Birrell, Minister Plibersek is making unfounded claims that the Basin Plan will fall short of its water recovery targets by 750 gigalitres.
“While the Minister talks about the threat to the environment and possible extinction of species, the Murray Darling Basin Authority report card makes it clear that progress is being made, but more time is required,” Mr Birrell said.
Mr Birrell said the MDBA report card acknowledges the impact widespread flooding across the Basin has had on supply, constraint, and efficiency measures under the Sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism (SDLAM).
“This mechanism is designed to deliver a 605 GL/y offset, allowing the Basin Plan to be achieved with less water recovered from consumptive users such as towns, communities, farmers and industries,” Mr Birrell said.
“In its first budget the Albanese Government set aside a secret amount for community wrecking water buybacks based on commitment to complete the plan by the 2024 deadline, rather than granting SDLAM projects more time to achieve sustainable outcomes.
“The MDBA report card says water recovery at the Basin scale remains at 98% for surface water and 92% for groundwater recovered against the Bridging the Gap target.
“That target will be met, and with additional time so will the offsets.
“Another 450 gigabytes the Water Minister wants to carve out to complete the plan ‘in full’ is additional to the water recovery target.
“The Basin Plan has always been about long-term sustainability; it must be given time to achieve the outcomes without doing irreparable harm to communities that also rely on water,” Mr Birrell said.
