MEMBER for Murray Helen Dalton is pushing for the NSW Government to support a moratorium on the planned water buybacks by the federal government.
Mrs Dalton said buying back a further Sydney Harbour’s worth of water would “devastate” her electorate, calling it “unlawful”.
“That is why I am committing to work with the government in this term of Parliament to achieve a moratorium on the latest planned federal buybacks,” Mrs Dalton told NSW Parliament last week.
“If the Federal Government is worried about water for the Lower Lakes in South Australia, it needs to consider better options.
“It should look at water waste in transfers, for example. It should look at run-off and the state of some of the riverbanks. It should meter and monitor all water, including environmental water and water diverted for floodplain harvesting.
“It should consider desalination in South Australia to provide water for the Lower Lakes.
“That would be a hell of a lot smarter and cheaper than buying water from primary producers further up the river.”
Mrs Dalton said she has spoken previously after the plan to buy back 450 gigalitres of water in the Murray-Darling Basin, “diverting that precious resource away from farmers and communities like those in my electorate of Murray”.
“Four hundred and fifty gigalitres is the equivalent of every drop of water in Sydney Harbour – imagine telling Sydney that it had to give up its harbour,” she said.
“The federal buybacks will be unlawful because, under the Water Act 2007, buybacks are not allowed to occur if they adversely impact on the socio-economic needs of communities.
“These buybacks will do just that. How do we know? It is because we have already seen how devastating buybacks have been in the past.
“The southern basin has already contributed 83 per cent of the water for buybacks under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“Over a 50-year period, 38 per cent of the available water in Wakool was purchased through buybacks. So what happened? There was a 71.8 per cent decrease in employment in irrigated production, while the manufacturing workforce nearly halved.”
The NSW Government should support a moratorium for a lot of reasons, Mrs Dalton said.
“For a start, a moratorium is good for the New South Wales economy as farms will become even more productive,” she said.
“A moratorium will also help rural towns and cities to survive and eventually thrive, economically and socially.
“A moratorium will also help drive down the skyrocketing cost of living that we are all experiencing right across New South Wales, in the cities and in the regions. More water will lead to cheaper food.”
Premier Chris Minns told Mrs Dalton he couldn’t “today” commit to a moratorium when asked in Question Time.
“I make the point to the member for Murray that, while we accept the 450 gigalitres of additional water for the environment was an original part of the compact between the basin states and the Commonwealth, this can only be done through water efficiency projects that do not have a socioeconomic impact on our regional communities, which is an important caveat,” he said
“I assure the member for Murray that nobody in this house, and certainly no one in the government, is under any illusions about her views and perspective, or her community’s perspective, in relation to this.
“We believe any progress in delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan must be done in a way that supports rural communities.
“I have been to the Murray electorate myself and met the basin communities, with the local member, in the past.
“The Minister for Water has committed to going there as well to see for herself the impact of potential changes to policy and to consider the next steps in terms of the policy iteration for this important part of the federal and state agreement.”
FEDERAL Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has invited communities to share their views about how to best deliver the Basin Plan.
“The government is committed to delivering the plan in full, including 450 GL to enhance environmental outcomes,” Ms Plibersek said.
“But, we know communities and industry have previously felt left out of the conversation.
“Delivering the plan includes achieving all water recovery targets. It means putting our rivers on a healthier and more sustainable path, while continuing to support basin communities who help feed our nation.
Individuals and groups are urged to make a submission that considers ideas or concepts could help fully implement the Murray-Darling Basin Plan; if these ideas recovered water and delivered environmental outcomes; ideas that would make a particular difference to their community and challenges or risks to implement these ideas.
More information at consult.dcceew.gov.au/ideas-to-deliver-the-basin-plan
