Water buybacks no longer at risk

WEP SCRAPPED... Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt (centre) was in Shepparton last week, meeting with Rubicon chief executive officer Bruce Rodgerson (left) and Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum. Photo: Struan Jones

IN a presentation last year, the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, Keith Pitt, made a declaration that water buybacks from the rural sector would not be on the table to secure the 450GL target of additional water for river health outcomes that the government is committed to recovering.

During a visit to Shepparton last week, the Federal Government delivering on its commitment to focus on off-farm projects to recover environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin, the Minister announced that the Water Efficiency Program (WEP) would close and be replaced by a water saving program that does not impact farmers’ water entitlements.

“My priority is to put communities back at the heart of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and this is another step in that process,” Mr Pitt said.

“The WEP has recovered just 0.2GL since 2019 – that’s 0.04 per cent of the 450GL.

“We are closing the program and replacing it with a new approach that will focus the more than $1.5 billion available in the Water for the Environment Special Account on securing water by improving the efficiency of off-farm irrigation infrastructure.

“Off-farm water recovery means we can actually progress our river health targets and, unlike on-farm programs we do not reduce water availability in the consumptive pool.”
The local Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, said the new approach was a big win for local irrigators.

“This is a great result, and one that people in the local water industry have been calling for and it’s fantastic to see our government put the focus back on local communities and irrigators,” Mr Drum said.

“This is a common-sense change that will keep water in the consumptive pool and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.”

“Through the new Off-Farm Efficiency Program, we will make $1.33 billion available for state-led off- farm projects, as well as $150 million in direct grants,” Mr Pitt said.