In a dry season, every drop counts and Victoria is contributing more than its fair share to environmental water flows.
In the 2018-19 water year, more than 788,000ML has been allocated to the environment in the Southern Basin System. Victoria is contributing 73 per cent, or more than 575,000ML, while NSW is contributing 8pc and South Australia 19pc.
Water bought over the last six years for the basin plan has targeted Victorian water, with the Commonwealth seeking to use its ability to deliver more water in dry years.
Victoria is clearly doing the heavy lifting in dry seasons and farmers are suffering.
Based on Murray Darling Basin Authority data, full-time equivalent job losses in Victoria were dramatically higher.
More than 5000 jobs were lost in Victorian agricultural production; compared with 2877 in NSW and 2287 in SA.
Over the last 10 years, some water products have more than doubled in value, particularly Murray water below the Barmah choke. If the Commonwealth purchased the same volume as it did under the water buyback program at today’s price, Victorian farmers would be $1 billion richer. This is why Victorian irrigators are saying the basin plan is causing severe socioeconomic loss.
The VFF has this week urged members of the Water Ministerial Council to adopt a widened socioeconomic test for any recovery of the 450GL of additional water. The test needs to take into account the regional and cumulative impacts of water recovery.
The VFF supports the criteria published by the Victorian and NSW governments for assessing the socioeconomic impact of any additional water recovery. We believe the criteria put forward by those governments’ strikes the right balance.
I would lastly like to congratulate returning Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville for her reappointment. We look forward to working closely over the next four years.