With less than 18 months before the final review of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, local communities have every reason to be extremely concerned, according to the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District Water Leadership group.
GMID Water Leadership co-chairs Suzanna Sheed and David McKenzie recently met with the Water Minister Harriet Shing.
"We were very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Minister face-to-face less than two weeks before the next Ministerial Council Meeting of Water Ministers", Ms Sheed said.
"We used the meeting to share the concerns of our irrigation communities in northern Victoria.
"There is escalating uncertainty as to how the plan can be implemented, given that it is known that there will be a shortfall in water recovery, and the timeframes set nearly a decade ago cannot be met."
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Ms Sheed said the group was concerned about the "entrenched positions" of all parties to the plan.
The group raised what it believed was a lack of vision and leadership about innovative resolutions to the impasse.
Ms Sheed said the previous federal government was fully aware of those issues and maintained that the plan would be delivered in full and on time but failed to address possible alternative means or any way forward.
Mr McKenzie advised the ,minister that communities were rightly concerned about outcomes from the forthcoming MinCo meeting and the lack of transparency surrounding these meetings.
"At the very least the agenda for these meetings should be publicly available so that communities can see what might be coming and what governments are considering.," Mr McKenzie said.
"The lack of federal leadership has been very disappointing.
"As we move toward the last stages there are opportunities for innovation and creative solutions to achieve outcomes which will ultimately see the primary goals of the plan achieved."
With a New South Wales state election only weeks away, there are concerns that once again, no meaningful decisions will be taken, he said.
"It is essential that the work already done, in particular, the water recovered by Victoria is acknowledged and respected and that we do not see Victoria ultimately disadvantaged for leading the way in the plan when other states have lagged behind", Mr McKenzie said.
"We were very pleased with the minister's assurances that Victoria will strongly maintain its position, continuing to endeavour to meet its obligations under the plan noting that it has already delivered more water than any other jurisdiction, and that it will stand firm on the application of be socio-economic test and remains opposed to any buybacks toward the 450 gigalitres of additional environmental water".
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