By Deanne Jeffers
THE Victorian Water Minister Gayle Tierney has signalled Labor’s intent to further reduce the irrigation footprint in the state. It follows the announcement that the Federal Labor Government would expand voluntary water buybacks by 130 gigalitres (GL) in the southern basin.
Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell, has accused the Minister of failing to prevent the Federal Government’s expanded buyback program.
“Minister Tierney likes to talk tough, and in June this year said that she had asked the Commonwealth to pause water buybacks. The reality is that she has absolutely failed Victoria because she won’t stand up to her federal Labor colleagues to stop these destructive water purchases,” said Ms Lovell.
Following the shock announcement of an additional 130GL of purchases from the southern Basin, including Victoria, Ms Lovell asked Minister Tierney to rule out any buybacks from the Goulburn system.
In reply, the Water Minister would not give assurance that the buybacks would not remove water from Victorian irrigators. Instead, she flagged further rationalisation of irrigation districts, saying, “We know that the footprint in terms of irrigation needs to be reduced.”
The Adviser has since sought clarification about the Minister’s comments, and no response was received prior to publication on Tuesday.
“The Allan Labor Government clearly doesn’t care about the devastating consequences of Federal Labor’s water buybacks for Victorian irrigators,” said Ms Lovell.
“In June, I also urged her to lead a delegation of irrigators and community leaders from the Goulburn Murray region to Canberra, to bang on the doors of the Water Minister and Prime Minister, until they understood the devastation buybacks are causing to our communities, but Minister Tierney flatly refused.
“The Victorian Water Minister has failed to stand up to her Federal Labor colleagues, and is doing nothing to resist water buybacks – instead, she is planning to reduce the irrigation footprint, which will hurt farming communities, reduce food production, and cost jobs across our region.
“It’s time the Victorian Minister for Water put Victorians first, instead of twiddling her thumbs while her Federal Labor mates undermine irrigation communities in Victoria.”
Speaking in parliament, Minister Tierney reaffirmed that the Victorian Government remains opposed to “non-strategic” buybacks.
“These buybacks undermine the long-term viability of our irrigation communities and regional economies,” she said. “Pursuing a water recovery target without a strategy for where the water can be used does not deliver the balanced outcomes intended of the Basin Plan.”
She said Victoria would continue to advocate for a “genuine strategic approach,” as outlined in its Planning Our Basin Future Together prospectus, prioritising infrastructure, efficiency improvements and community-led solutions.
Ms Lovell has once again urged Minister Tierney to facilitate a meeting in Canberra between a delegation of irrigators and community leaders from the Goulburn Murray region, and the Federal Water Minister Murray Watt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
