Government's Basin water buyback program opens later this month

The tenders will run until April 26 and cover five NSW catchments and one in Queensland.

The government aims to recover 44.3 gigalitres (GL) towards the remaining 49.2GL of water recovery towards the Sustainable Diversion Limits.

A Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water spokesperson said the government was committed to delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full.

The Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water minister Tanya Plibersek had been clear from the outset that nothing was off the table to achieve Murray-Darling Basin Plan outcomes.

"The government remains interested in receiving feasible, non-purchase-based projects from New South Wales and Queensland that can be delivered in collaboration with the community by June 30, 2024," the spokesperson said.

"In the absence of technically feasible, viable and value for money infrastructure projects that can be delivered before June 30, 2024, we are pursuing strategic purchases to bridge the remaining gap to meet the SDLs".

Read more: SDL's can be modified, says MDBA

The spokesperson said the strategic purchasing activity to bridge the gap did not cover any recovery under the SDL Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) Supply Contribution (605GL) or the SDLAM efficiency Measures (450GL).

"Bridging the gap marks an important step forward in continuing to return water to the environment and delivering upon the government's commitment to complete the Basin Plan in full".

"This purchase program does not consider other Basin Plan targets and there will be no purchasing outside the targeted catchments".

The buybacks have caused alarm among Victorian irrigators, who fear purchasing water in the NSW Murray will have an impact south of the river.

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The VFF said the government's plans ignored all evidence of the devastation farming communities would be forced to endure.

"The commonwealth's plan to buyback water will not only price farmers out of the water market, but it will also result in less jobs in regional communities and will increase the price of food for all Australians," VFF Water Council chair Andrew Leahy said.

But Kotta livestock producer and irrigator Andrew Christian said while the plan wasn't perfect, "it is a plan.

"Our state government and self proclaimed irrigation specialists in particular the Victorian Farmers Federation have done an injustice to our industry," Mr Christian said.

"The VFF continues to disregard the positive outcomes of on-farm irrigation programs.

"This position needs to be reconsidered or we will see the blunt instrument of water recovery, which is direct buyback of entitlement from willing sellers".

Mr Christian said water was going to leave the consumptive pool, and recently announced buybacks were an example of the commonwealth's position.

"If the recalcitrant states of NSW and Victoria continue with their current position irrigators will suffer," he said.

"Ms Plibersek appears to be a minister who is not interested in playing politics, she has a mandate to close out the Murray Darling Basin Plan and kudos to her.

He said water recovery needed to have a framework around it and on-farm efficiency programs contained a solid framework that assured positive social and economic outcomes.

"The programs enabled water to be procured in a gentle manner unlike direct buybacks which are steep and sudden approach".

Further water recovery was going to come from the consumptive pool.

"The question is, which is best direct buyback or efficiency programs?," he said.