MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster is encouraging locals to have their say on the Federal Government’s “disgraceful” Restoring Our Rivers Act draft framework, with the consultation period open for three more weeks.
“It is important the (water) minister and her department hear the voices of regional people who have skin in the game,” Dr Webster said.
“The federal water minister’s electorate is in Sydney, and she has appeared to be more concerned with Greens and teal votes in metropolitan seats, rather than communities who rely on irrigation.”
In December, Federal Parliament passed the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill, announcing significant reforms to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full, including 450GL of additional environmental water.
The Act’s draft framework outlines three new programs aimed at delivering this additional environmental water, the first of which was launched at the end of January.
Under the Resilient Rivers Project, participating state governments can propose new water-saving infrastructure projects, such as irrigation network upgrades, that would be designed to further improve water efficiency and management, reduce water loss, and return water to the environment.
The other two programs the government plans to deliver the 450GL through is the Voluntary Water Purchase Program, which is the purchase of water entitlements from sellers by the Commonwealth, also known as buybacks, and the Sustainable Communities Program, which is community adjustment assistance for Basin communities impacted by voluntary water purchase.
Dr Webster believes the Federal Government is “thirsty” for water buybacks, and is worried about the impact they will have on regional irrigation communities across the basin.
“The minister will dangle the carrot for ‘willing sellers’- more likely distressed sellers looking to exit the industry,” she said.
“Exiting irrigators leaves less farmers to pay for water infrastructure upkeep and our districts become patchwork quilts of irrigated and dry land.
“River communities become ghost towns when government waltz in and rip water out. It is important Mallee residents have their say on this framework to show the minister her water recovery fantasies are a living nightmare in irrigation communities.”
Dr Webster also believes the Federal Government is “punishing Victorians” for the state not signing on to the new basin plan, which means it is not able to propose new water-saving infrastructure projects as part of the Resilient Rivers Project.
“Victoria has already done the heavy lifting on returning water to the environment and should not be subject to blackmail from the government,” she said.
“If this was truly about water saving and not political point-scoring, the government should be funding infrastructure with any state.”
Federal Water Minster Tanya Plibersek told Sunraysia Daily the government would welcome Victoria signing onto the agreement should they want to take part.
“The Victorian Government’s position simply does not make sense,” she said.
“By not signing onto the agreement, we’re likely to see more water recovery through voluntary water purchase in Victoria, not less.”
Consultation on the draft framework closes on March 4. To have your say, visit consult.dcceew.gov.au/draft-restoring-our-rivers-framework.
