The Federal Government reiterated its determination to deliver an additional 450 gigalitres of environmental water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan at the February 24 meeting of Murray-Darling Basin water ministers.
The official statement released after the meeting said “ministers noted ... the Commonwealth's position that delivering the basin plan will include the purchase of water so that all targets can be delivered, consistent with an approach of all options on the table”.
The statement also flagged that NSW and Victoria wanted more time — two more years — to “deliver some supply measure projects, that are well advanced”.
Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing said Victoria’s position on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was clear and consistent.
“We are fully committed to delivering on our obligations under the plan in a way that balances environmental, social and economic outcomes,” she said.
“Due to the impacts of bushfires, the pandemic and floods, we have requested a two-year extension of time to ensure our environmental projects can deliver 95 per cent of the required water recovery without harming communities.
“We've made it clear to the Commonwealth that we remain ready and willing to discuss innovative projects to ensure our remaining floodplain management and efficiency projects will deliver water in ways that buybacks cannot, and enable far more flexibility and drought resilience for environmental water holders.”
Before the meeting, Ms Shing had said the Victorian Government’s long-standing opposition to buybacks remained unchanged.
“Victorians lived through the last round of buybacks, and we know they do not work,” she said earlier this month.
NSW Water Minister Kevin Anderson said his state also continued to oppose buybacks and that more time and funding was needed to “deliver the environmental outcomes intended under the plan”.
While the ministerial meeting acknowledged that “unprecedented droughts, severe floods and the global pandemic have compounded delays in delivering basin plan projects” the way forward remained unresolved.
“Ministers tasked officials to develop a package, including accountability measures and work programs to deliver the basin plan in full, and to report to ministers at the next meeting,” the meeting statement said.
National Irrigators’ Council chief executive officer Isaac Jeffrey said if Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek refused a “modest time extension” for NSW and Victoria it meant she really was only considering buybacks.
“Without more time, there will be shortfalls in water recovery in these states which could see between 192 to 315 gigalitres more water to be recovered through buybacks,” Mr Jeffrey said.
“The minister said ‘infrastructure projects, on-farm efficiencies, water purchase’ were the options on the table, but without extending the time frames to allow complex projects it will be impossible to develop businesses cases and turn the first sods on projects, let alone build them by the June 2024 deadline.
“The minister must urgently reconsider the requests from NSW and Victoria.
“They only asked for a two-year extension, which would have meant well over 93 per cent of the basin plan would be completed without the harm which will otherwise be inflicted on regional communities and to the wallets of all Australians at the checkout.”