Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines has successfully amended the government’s bill on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
She said the amendments aimed to improve accountability and support for the communities it impacted.
However, Victorian Nationals leader David Littleproud has accused Dr Haines of betraying Indi voters by backing the bill.
Dr Haines effectively negotiated four amendments to the Water Amendment Bill 2023.
The first amendment provides for reviews of compensation payments made to address detrimental social or economic impacts on communities from water buybacks to ensure they are adequately and meaningfully responding to community needs.
The other successful amendments aim to strengthen the independent auditing powers of the Inspector General of Water Compliance to improve accountability and transparency when it comes to meeting Murray-Darling Basin Plan targets and delivering projects as promised.
“As an independent regional MP, I make my decisions based on what is best for Indi, what is evidence-based and what sets up rural and regional Australia to thrive,” Dr Haines said.
“This Labor Government doesn’t always get it right when it comes to regional Australia, so I worked hard to negotiate with the minister to get a better outcome for Indi and for regional Australia.”
Dr Haines also moved amendments explicitly stating that buybacks are targeted from across the whole basin to make it clear that the pursuit of environmental outcomes in the northern basin is allowed and encouraged while ensuring communities, farmers and landholders affected by increased water flows resulting from constraints relaxation projects are adequately consulted about these projects.
“The largest amount of water that is delivered to the lower Murray-Darling Basin flows from the Hume, Dartmouth and Eildon dams in Indi, and I am concerned about serious negative environmental and economic impacts for Indi farmers below the dams on the Goulburn and Murray rivers,” Dr Haines said.
“If additional water is to be purchased, it must be from where it is most effective rather than from where it is easiest.”
While the government did not agree to these amendments in the House of Representatives, Dr Haines said she was working with independent Senate colleagues to ensure they could be further debated.
It was based on these amendments that Mr Littleproud called out Dr Haines.
“Dr Haines supported more buybacks, just minutes after telling parliament how harmful buybacks would be in her region,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This amendment bill is damaging to regional communities and tears away bipartisan support.
“It doesn’t matter if water is taken from the north or south, this bill will hurt regional Australians and impact food prices at the checkout for Australian families.”
Dr Haines said she had consulted widely in the past months to hear directly from farmers, water experts, land and water management organisations and other basin stakeholders.
“Water policy is complex and contested,” she said.
“Delivering water when there are competing needs of agriculture, river communities and the environment is challenging.
“I have met with and listened to water experts and community members impacted by the basin plan to understand their different experiences and perspectives.
“I have consulted with farmers on the Goulburn River near Alexandra and grape growers and irrigators on the Murray.
“I’ve spoken with water scientists, my local First Nations community, environmentalists, local businesses and water catchment management authorities.
“The message from farmers in my electorate is clear. The impacts on both their farms and the health of their river need to be considered when planning the volumes and timing of environmental flows and the purchasing of water entitlements.”
Mr Littleproud said the Victorian Government had torn up its original policy on the additional 450Gl of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and ignored the social and economic neutrality test, protecting communities from water buybacks.
“The Nationals support allowing an extension of time for recovering water to the environment through infrastructure, as the former coalition government was doing, but reverting to buybacks for the additional 450Gl will hurt communities and drive up food prices.”