The move unfolded in the Senate on Wednesday, June 23, but was also supported by lower house Nationals including state Member for Nicholls Damian Drum.
The proposed change to the Water Act would ban the government from buying water from irrigators to return to the environment.
It would also block the delivery of 450 gigalitres of "up water", which most benefits South Australia, already earmarked for the environment.
The amendments also prevent any extra environmental water being allocated after the plan is completed in 2024. Government Senate leader and SA Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said he was committed to the plan being delivered in full and on time.
“When those amendments come to a vote, I and the government will be voting against those amendments,” he told Parliament.
“The government stands resolute in its support for the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.”
Victorian senator Bridget McKenzie, who is tipped to return to cabinet as early as this week, is leading the charge for the changes.
“You'll never ever be able to come back into our communities and take water,” she told Parliament.
Crucial crossbench senator Rex Patrick threw down the gauntlet to the coalition in a fiery parliamentary debate.
“I will block my phone from every minister in the Federal Government. I won't be talking to them about any legislation,” the South Australian independent said.
“They can play Russian roulette if they want.”
Labor, the Greens and Senator Patrick are demanding Prime Minister Scott Morrison take water responsibility off the Nationals.
“Until the Liberal Party decide they are going to stand up to this sort of vandalism, you will be condemned,” opposition Senate leader Penny Wong said.
Mr Drum said the policy, which opened up another split with the Liberals, had been agreed in the party room.
“We are putting a line in the sand right now,” he said.
He said environmental water was being wasted while more was being drawn from agriculture.
The Nationals are trying to tack the changes on to a bill giving substantive powers to the inspector-general of the basin.
The proposal could be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee before it comes to a vote.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young accused Mr Joyce and his supporters of wanting to steal more water from the environment.
South Australian Water Minister David Speirs has contacted his federal counterpart Keith Pitt — a Nationals MP — about his disappointment with the "stunt".
“The Marshall Liberal government categorically rejects the amendments put forward in the Senate,” he told AAP.
The National Party is proposing four key amendments to the Water Act (2007) and Basin Plan Act (2012):
● Remove 450 GL of up water● Remove buybacks● Enable new offset projects● No further water to be taken when the basin plan concludes in 2024
The amendments will see the removal of the controversial 450 GL that federal Labor hastily added to the plan in 2012 to get South Australia to sign up, but which was never guaranteed.
“There is more to the environmental health of our river system than just pushing more fresh water downstream; science is telling us the Lower Lakes in South Australia need a significant rethink,” Mr Drum said.
“The Nationals believe the next major step required to protect the environment is delivering environmental complementary measure projects rather than destroying rural communities by taking more water,” Senator McKenzie said in a statement.
“The Nationals are proposing to amend the legislation to allow for new sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism projects. We have made these policies but our people want more certainty so we need to legislate.”
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