Declining regulated flows through the Barmah-Millewa section in the Murray-Darling Basin are a "ticking time bomb", which could result in future water shortfalls for Mallee irrigation communities.
Mallee Nationals MP Anne Webster has called on all Basin state governments to work collaboratively with the commonwealth to ensure the risk is safely managed to safeguard water delivery for producers.
"The Barmah choke upstream of Mallee has been an underlying issue for some time for irrigators with the flow capacity of the Murray River having reduced in recent times," Dr Webster said.
"Having no water available for days or weeks during a heatwave would have a devastating impact on our town [Mildura] and take years to recover from.
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"The coalition raised these concerns with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority early in the previous term of government.
"We continued to drive the issue, funding $3 million for a feasibility study that is investigating ways to take pressure off the Barmah Choke and minimise the risk of shortfalls downstream."
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Dr Webster urged the federal government to ensure the feasibility study was on the agenda of any upcoming Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting.
"We now need to assess the feasibility of these proposed approaches and importantly I want to hear from locals as to what the best way forward is," she said.
"I would like to see all Lower Murray Irrigators on both sides of the river come together to help find solutions, we can't afford to see farmers pitted against farmer.
Environmental water holders also had a major role to play and must be part of the solution.
"The recently enforced Goulburn Murray Trade Rule by the Victorian government has arguably put in place a new set of challenges to get the water to our farmers in the Lower Murray," she said.
In June 2022, the Victorian government announced a long-term Goulburn to Murray trade rule that carefully considered shortfall risks.
Dr Webster urged the new Water Minister [Tanya Plibersek] to consider all options being put forward whether that be infrastructure or policy solutions.
The six options being explored by the MDBA are:
. Stabilising the banks to prevent further incursion of water into the Barmah-Millewa Forest
. Removing sand from key locations
. Changing the timing of water delivery to Lake Victoria-Tar-Ru to be better attuned to environmental watering events
. Using Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District infrastructure to deliver water downstream
. Using Murray Irrigation Limited system to deliver water through the Edward/Kolety-Wakool-Niemur river system
. Releasing water to the Murray River via the Murrumbidgee River through the Snowy Hydro scheme.
The options will be presented to governments in December 2022 for them to decide which to investigate further or to proceed to a business case and formal community consultation.
Water Minister Harriet Shing said the government supported the Murray Darling Basin Authority's study investigating options for reinstating flow capacity across the Choke.
"We are working with commonwealth and other Basin governments on this," Ms Shing said..
"We support feasible options to address lost capacity but need to make sure the costs stack up - and meet the socio-economic criteria that was agreed to."
"We continue to push for a Ministerial Council meeting as soon as possible, to discuss issues like shortfall risk as a matter of urgency."
