INDEPENDENT Murray MP for Murray Helen Dalton is fighting to prevent Northern Basin floodplain harvesting licence holders from seeking financial compensation from taxpayers for their licences.
Mrs Dalton introduced a Bill last Thursday that would “stop a massive heist – a multi-billion dollar transfer of wealth from the NSW public to the private sector”.
“For many years, big corporate Northern Basin irrigators have been siphoning water into their private dams before it reaches the river,” she said.
“This unregulated practice – known as floodplain harvesting – devastates Lower Darling communities and reduces water allocations for Southern Basin irrigators.
“In February, the NSW Government sneakily granted 132 floodplain harvesting licences for an exclusive club of Northern Basin irrigators.
“These licences allow for floodplain harvesting well in excess of legal limits. They do not account for the needs for downstream and Indigenous communities.
“Moreover, then National Party water minister Kevin Humphries changed the law in 2014 to allow irrigators to sell floodplain harvesting licences to Government, for financial compensation.”
Mrs Dalton said “lining the pockets of this exclusive club” was unfair on Southern farmers who “have already given up so much water for the greater good of the Basin”.
“It’s also a recipe for more rorts that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars,” she said.
“We know Liberal-National Governments are the world’s worst hagglers.”
“We recall the Barnaby Joyce Watergate scandal, when the Federal Government paid $80 million to a Cayman Islands company for non-existent water in the Condamine Balonne region.”
“My Bill ensures irrigators won’t be able to profit off floodplain harvesting licences. Farmers should have the right to collect some of the water that flows across their property.”
“But the NSW Governments regards this as ‘bonus’ water. It should not be used to make a profit.”
Mrs Dalton called on the government to consult with Lower Darling and Southern Basin communities and get floodplain harvesting properly regulated.
She said the Bill could pass both houses of parliament, if it’s supported by Labor and all the crossbenchers.
“There’s no reason why any of these parties would oppose this Bill. They don’t believe these licences should be compensable. Supporting this Bill is a no-brainer,” she said.
Debate on the Bill will occur when NSW Parliament resumes in June.
