The Goulburn Murray Irrigation District Water Leadership Group is worried there will be a last minute grab for irrigators’ water when the basin plan’s targets can’t be met by 2024.
Politicians on both sides of the fence seem to agree that the targets can’t be met, but none have produced a plan on what will be done.
Group co-chair Suzanna Sheed said local communities had every reason to be extremely concerned about future government action.
Ms Sheed, the former State Member for Shepparton, and co-chair David McKenzie met Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing and received assurances the Victorian Government would resist buybacks to meet the 450 Gl of up-water under the basin plan.
State and federal water ministers are expected to meet later this month and the GMID Water Leadership Group is hoping a plan will be formulated to deal with the shortfall.
“The previous federal government was fully aware of these issues and maintained that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan would be delivered in full and on time but failed to address possible alternative means or any way forward,” Ms Sheed said.
Mr McKenzie told Ms Shing that communities were rightly concerned about outcomes from the forthcoming Ministerial Council (MinCo) meeting and the lack of transparency surrounding these meetings.
“At the very least the agenda for these meetings should be publicly available so that communities can see what might be coming and what governments are considering,” Mr McKenzie said.
“The lack of federal leadership has been very disappointing.
“As we move toward the last stages there are opportunities for innovation and creative solutions to achieve outcomes which will ultimately see the primary goals of the plan achieved.”
The co-chairs met Ms Shing in Melbourne on February 3 at her invitation.
Ms Sheed said they used the meeting to share the concerns of irrigation communities in northern Victoria.
“There is escalating uncertainty as to how the plan can be implemented, given that it is known that there will be a shortfall in water recovery, and the timeframes set nearly a decade ago cannot be met,” she said.
“The entrenched positions of all parties to the plan and a lack of vision and leadership about innovative resolutions to the impasse were some of the issues we raised with the minister.”
Mr McKenzie said a NSW state election was only weeks away, and there were concerns that once again, no meaningful decisions will be taken.
“It is essential that the work already done, in particular, the water recovered by Victoria is acknowledged and respected and that we do not see Victoria ultimately disadvantaged for leading the way in the plan when other states have lagged behind,” he said.
“We were very pleased with the minister's assurances that Victoria will strongly maintain its position, continuing to endeavour to meet its obligations under the plan noting that it has already delivered more water than any other jurisdiction, and that it will stand firm on the application of the socio-economic test and remains opposed to any buybacks toward the 450 Gl of additional environmental water.”
The six-monthly Basin Plan Report Card is expected to be released this week.
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