Victoria’s Water Minister has told State parliament the government would continue to fight for stringent conditions on the delivery of a further 450GL of environmental ‘upwater’, under the Murray Darling Basin plan .
Lisa Neville said the state’s priority was to deliver its share of the 2750GL under the plan.
“The 450GL of upwater can’t be delivered unless there is a neutral or improved socio-economic outcome,” Ms Neville said.
“This was set out in the Basin Plan legislation.”
Victoria continued to argue against water buybacks and for a full social, economic and environmental review of the southern basin.
“We have commenced our own review and have asked to be part of the oversight of the recently announced Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) review.
“It is critical that we not only look at impacts on individuals, but also community impacts more broadly.”
She said the state had already delivered 711GL, most of which was high-reliability water.
“We have got 116GL as part of our water recovery projects, including the Connections project.
“We have got 19 business cases for environmental projects.”
Ms Neville said there was potential for dire consequences, if the plan was not delivered in a smart and fair way.
“Unfortunately that has already indicated that there is potential for significant impact on horticulture and dairy,” Ms Neville said.
“Horticulture will be very significantly impacted if we have another long duration of drought.”
Independent Shepparton MP Suzanna Sheed said she was encouraged by the government’s response.
Ms Sheed said she, and the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) Water Leadership Forum continued to advocate for adjustments in the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
She said the Minister echoed the findings of the GMID Water Leadership Forum report, released in October, which showed $550 million worth of production had been lost the region annually.
“Minister Neville acknowledged we need to ‘do something differently’ to deliver the 450GL,” Ms Sheed said.
“She also reiterated, under the Plan, that water can only be delivered if there is a neutral or improved socio economic outcome for communities. Clearly, the evidence is already suggesting otherwise.
“On the back of the recommendation that the MDBA will be reducing its recovery from the Northern Basin by 70GL, the Victorian government’s commitment is a positive sign for our communities,” Ms Sheed said.
Ms Sheed backed the appointment of an Independent panel to find the best environmental outcomes in the plan, with the minimal impact on communities.
“Our forum is advocating that other ways to achieve the water for the environment be found, other than taking it from the consumptive pool,” she said.
And the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has urged an end to what it said was the anti-rural rhetoric that has erupted over the recovery of the additional 450GL.
“Everyone agreed to the 450GL recovery clause at the time the Basin Plan was passed through parliament by the Gillard Labor Government in 2012,” VFF Water Council chairman Richard Anderson said.
“So let’s be clear; what is currently being debated isn’t an alteration to the Plan. “The Federal Government is applying the legislation as it was intended, which is to provide some balance between the environmental needs and damage to rural communities caused by water recovery.”
“It is hard for us to see how a further 450GL of water could still be recovered – through any means – without causing further damage to our regional communities, which are supported by irrigation farming businesses.
And Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) called for an urgent urgent socio-economic analysis on the impacts of the plan on Southern Basin communities.
Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) Water Taskforce chair, Daryl Hoey said that now the MDBA has reviewed water recovery targets in the northern end of the Basin they needed to understand the similar impacts in the south.
“We agree that the government needs to urgently review what the different water recovery levels mean for southern communities and the environment,” said Mr Hoey.
“There will be serious implications for the dairy industry if any more water is removed from the collective pool, without first understanding the impact it will have to every district including South Australia, Queensland, Northern New South Wales and Victoria.
The positive stride taken by the MDBA on the Northern Basin plan must now extend to the southern basin communities as a matter of urgency, he said.
