Opinion

Backing Victorian communities on basin plan

Feb 21, 2023

Making a stand: Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing says she will argue against more buybacks in favour of finishing the projects that achieve better environmental outcomes with less water and that won’t harm Victorian communities. Photo by Holly Curtis

Victorians have done the heavy lifting to meet our obligations under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and those efforts should not go unrecognised as we continue to deliver on the objectives of the plan.

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We met our Bridging the Gap target with 826GL already recovered, and work to recover the remainder of Victoria’s 1075GL target continues through our sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism projects.

In partnership with the Commonwealth Government we’ve completed the biggest irrigation modernisation project in Australian history — the Connections Project — which exceeded its water recovery target of 429GL by four gigalitres.

All of our projects meet the socio-economic criteria agreed by all basin states and the Commonwealth in 2018 — criteria that strike a careful balance and are not barriers to getting good projects done.

As our work under the plan goes on, I will continue to do what is in the best interests of Victorians.

I will argue against more buybacks in favour of finishing the projects that achieve better environmental outcomes with less water and that won’t harm Victorian communities.

Victorians know buybacks do not work. They take water out of the consumptive pool, pushing up prices, and create greater risk to the water security of local businesses.

After many years of inaction under the previous Federal Government, I look forward to working with my ministerial counterparts to deliver the basin plan under its terms as agreed.

Harriet Shing, Victorian Water Minister