Debate rises over buybacks

By Geoff Adams

Dec 2, 2024

The Victorian Government has distanced itself from the Commonwealth Indigenous water recovery program, but said it supported water for First Nations people. Photo by Geoff Adams

The Commonwealth’s move to buy more Murray-Darling water for First Nations communities has attracted some criticism.

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The government has set aside $100 million to buyback water from irrigators in the Murray-Darling regions.

The water purchased is expected to be passed on to Indigenous communities, although the government couldn’t explain to Country News how this will happen.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Government has responded to questions raised by Country News.

“The Aboriginal Water Entitlement Program is a Commonwealth program and the Victorian Government was not involved in its establishment or implementation,” a spokesperson told Country News.

“We support the Commonwealth’s intentions to increase Traditional Owner access to water and will continue to pursue opportunities to return water to Traditional Owner groups in Victoria through unallocated water and water savings projects.”

The spokesperson said any recovery of water in Victoria should be done in a way which balances the socio-economic needs of Victorian communities and aligns with the government’s water recovery policies.

The Water is Life: Traditional Owner Access to Water Roadmap is the Victorian Government policy framework which aims to create and maintain a careful balance between Traditional Owner self-determination in water access and management and the rights and entitlements of irrigators and landholders, environmental groups and the community.