NOW is the time to take action to prevent disastrous outcomes for the Murray-Darling Basin and its communities, Member for Mallee Anne Webster has told Federal Parliament.
Dr Webster said the serious implications for Australian industry, food production and the environment had taken a “back seat” over the past few years as the nation faced enormous and unprecedented challenges of drought, bushfires and a global pandemic.
She said the efforts and attention of all levels of government and many sections of society had been drawn together to support hurting communities had taken precedence over management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Dr Webster said a teleconference roundtable involving the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt, growers, industry peak bodies and water management authorities had agreed that now was the time for action.
“It was agreed that the time for politics and kicking the can down the road is over,” Dr Webster said.
“We’ve seen the reports, we’ve heard from the experts and we’ve listened to the affected communities,” she said.
“Now is the time to take action to prevent disastrous outcomes for the basin and its communities.”
Dr Webster said many involved in the roundtable, including herself, were pleased to hear that Mr Pitt was focused on implementing engineering solutions to manage supply and deliverability issues in the system.
“The Murray-Darling Basin is an extraordinarily complex system and solutions to the challenges we face require extensive intergovernmental co-operation, stakeholder consultation and compromise,” she said.
“Since beginning my term in government, I have been listening to local voices, industry and organisations about the various challenges posed by the current system and I’ve heard some creative solutions.
“Irrigators across Mallee are full of great ideas and solutions.”
Dr Webster said issues such as water trading, including inter-valley trading rules, and deliverability challenges pertaining to the Barmah choke were among those raised by stakeholders, as well as a proposal to install multiple new weirs as midstream storage along the Murray River to assist with controlling the flow of the river in peak times.
She said she would welcome further input from other Mallee residents interested in water.
“Hearing from local producers is a priority for me,” she said.
“I know that the expertise and knowledge is out there, and I want to learn from and collaborate with producers.
“Restoring balance to the Murray-Darling Basin system is crucial to the future prosperity of our nation and listening to local voices is vital to achieving sustainable outcomes.
“I will continue to contribute to water policy that ensures balance between our environmental goals and our commitment to delivering sustainable water to producers and our local communities.”
