The Murray Regional Strategy Group, a coalition of farming and community organisations from the NSW Murray Valley, says the plan announced by NSW state Member for Murray Helen Dalton should be used as a starting point to repair damage caused by poor policy over the past 15 to 20 years.
MRSG Deputy Chair Alan Mathers said it was important to acknowledge the mistakes and learnings since the Basin Plan was legislated in 2012.
“We know there are numerous flaws in the Basin Plan, including the indisputable reality that recovered volumes of water cannot be sent from one end of the system to the other. It physically will not fit. It is therefore pointless recovering more water from farmers; instead, we have to focus on localised projects that protect sustainable environments.”
Mr Mathers said MRSG also supports the calls from federal Shadow Minister for Water Perin Davey for an end to water buybacks, after the Murray-Darling Basin Authority admitted flow targets in the Basin Plan cannot be achieved.
Mrs Dalton’s seven-point plan involves:
1. No water buybacks if they hurt communities.
2. Returning South Australia’s Lower Lakes to their natural state.
3. Increased desalination in order to provide water to South Australia.
4. Proper water metering throughout the basin system.
5. A renewed focus on water quality.
6. A ban on the government flooding of private wetlands.
7. An increase in downstream water storage.
“These are sensible measures that will build a better Basin Plan for future generations, as it protects the environment but also allows our farmers to grow the food we need for an ever-increasing population,” Mr Mathers said.
“It is hard to imagine that any government would deliberately threaten the viability of food production, but that is exactly what we are seeing. Even more bewildering is that it is occurring during a cost of living crisis.”
Mr Mathers said the NSW Murray region and Northern Victoria have been unfairly targeted in water recovery, and now the Albanese Government is spending billions of dollars to further decimate the most efficient food bowl in the nation.
“Instead of focusing on policies that are backed by ill-informed environmental ideology in the inner-city seats like that of Minister Plibersek, governments at all levels need to consider the future, in particular supporting our farmers so they can grow food in a sustainable way.
“The key outcome from the current approach will be ongoing increases to the price of food, to the detriment of farmers and regional communities. Governments are not delivering the balanced, flexible Basin Plan that was promised, and that needs to change.
“For this to occur we need political representatives at state and federal level who are prepared to stick with the facts, even when they don’t suit an ideological agenda. We are not seeing this at present, in particular at federal level,” Mr Mathers said.
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