I acknowledge this is a complicated and complex area, and one which many politicians struggle to fully understand, but it must surely be time to leave politics at the table and start working with communities to solve obvious problems.
Water reform has been over-complicated because too many decisions are based on what is best for the political future or ideology, instead of focusing on the core areas that need to be addressed.
Speak Up has been trying to work with governments for more than eight years, during which time we have worked collaboratively with numerous landholders and farming groups to develop better ways to deliver water reform.
Unfortunately, too often decisions have been made from capital cities by individuals with ‘no skin in the game’ and with an emphasis on achieving political goals.
In 2024 we want governments to revert their attention to achieving the types of reform that future generations will look back on with pride.
At present, there is a real risk the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will go down in history as one of our nation’s greatest failings. This can be averted with some priority changes.
Some of the solutions which need to be adopted will not be widely accepted in some quarters, but if the aim is to implement the best possible basin plan it will be necessary to make difficult decisions.
One of the first areas that needs to be addressed is water trading.
At present we have people who rely on water trading for their lavish lifestyle, but it is coming at the expense of regional communities, food production and ultimately the cost of food at the supermarket.
Our recommendation is a ‘one trade rule’, in which a water entitlement can only be traded once per season and must be traded to a landholder and used for productive purposes. We also need an open, transparent and publicly accessible water ownership platform (which does not provide individual contact details).
Wasted water through evaporation needs to be urgently addressed, as we are currently losing nearly 1000 gigalitres a year (nearly two Sydney Harbours of water) at the end of the system.
Fixing this waste would simply involve improved management of the Lower Lakes, including infrastructure works, and returning water that currently flows out to sea to the southern Coorong.
It has been argued that this would jeopardise South Australia’s drinking water supplies, however this would not be an issue if evaporation was reduced.
There is no reason why water cannot be diverted directly from the Murray River, and there is also the option of increasing use of the SA desalination plant, which lays idle after being built at significant taxpayer expense.
A controversial area that has to be tackled is the connectivity flows from the Darling River to the Murray River.
The fish kills and other environmental degradation is a Darling River issue which cannot be fixed by increasing Murray River flows. The solution could be reduced carryover or extraction from the northern basin, and this may require compensation for affected farmers.
It needs to be clearly acknowledged that buying back water from farmers in southern NSW and northern Victoria will not solve issues in the Darling.
Water buybacks in these areas might help the political expediency which appears the priority of Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek, but they will only lead to social and economic damage in these communities for virtually no environmental gain.
Buying water from farmers is not a solution to climate change, despite what the minister wants people to believe.
We’re told the basin plan is needed for a drying climate, but buying water is not going to prevent climate change or help alleviate its impact. Instead, we need to invest the remaining basin plan funds to ensure we are better prepared for the future, both socially and environmentally.
That means investing in projects to make every drop count, improving water quality, controlling invasive species, improving efficiencies in delivery of environmental water and addressing the over-planting of permanent crops.
Australia was once renowned for its innovation and solving problems, and this is the most important skill that our farmers possess.
But today our politicians prioritise options they hope will be vote winners in marginal seats; they take the easy way out, instead of the best way.
In 2024 we need the Albanese Government to show courage and work with communities on solutions to water reform which are in the national interest, rather than taking the easy option with water buybacks.
We want our nation to be set up for the future, and are ready and willing to work with governments to ensure this is achieved.
Shelley Scoullar is the Speak Up Campaign chair.
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