The amendment to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan would allow the Federal Government to buy water directly from irrigators, a prospect that rural communities have been lobbying against.
National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke said when presented with the choice to listen to communities and negotiate on sensible changes, Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek had opted to give rural Australia the cold shoulder.
“This is the worst possible outcome for the basin plan,” Mr Jochinke said.
“You know the minister has let this process go completely off the rails when you have South Australian Greens dictating water policy.
“The process has become a shambles and the credibility of the basin plan has been sold down the river.
“This deal makes it crystal clear the government is completely out of touch and doesn’t give a stuff about communities.
“Their lip service about what’s best for communities is completely disingenuous. They’re only interested in the politics and whatever sleazy backroom deal can keep hold of inner-city marginal seats at the expense of jobs and livelihoods in the basin.”
Southern Riverina Irrigators chief executive officer Sophie Baldwin said buybacks were a lazy and a destructive way to recover water and the the Restoring Our Rivers Bill will destroy rural communities.
“Irrigation underpins the social, economic and environmental success of our communities and if you take away the major source of income, of course it is going to impact these people.It is dishonest to say otherwise,” Ms Baldwin said..
“If Plibersek truly believes this bill will not negatively impact our communities, why is she removing the socio-economic test that is our only protection from buybacks?
“The government currently owns over 4600 Gl of environmental water and the CEWH [Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder] has already acknowledged they can only deliver 78 per cent of their current volume.”
Murray River Group of Councils acting chair Tony Marwood is urging the Federal Government to slow down the Senate process on the bill and consult with communities across the region.
“We don’t understand why the bill is being rushed through the Senate, especially when it is clear that concern about the potential reintroduction of water buybacks is widespread, both geographically and among industries,” Cr Marwood said.
Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said the latest decision was about politics.
“It’s a very complex environmental program. No-one in Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide has any understanding. They just think it’s great,” Mr Littleproud said.
“There’s more water running down the river. You can do that. You can do that with infrastructure, not buybacks.
And when you take buybacks into account and you allow that to happen, you take it away from farmers to be able to produce your food and fibre.”
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